Child of Desire
by Caprice 6
Summary: Vegeta at age 17 and under Frieza. The teenage Prince experiences females for the first time and gets drawn into a whirlwind of morbid lust and torrid passion.
1. Arrival of the Prince

**Disclaimer: **I do not own DBZ or Vegeta, but he totally owns me.

Child of Desire

Chapter One: Arrival of the Prince

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Frieza Log 663-8553 – Planet Sachio

Population: 8900 million

GM: 1.26689 (596⅞) 10±

Mean Radius: 6.996 (98±)

Surface Gravity: 996.69x3 treons

Escape Velocity: 9.025³

Planet composite: Heavy multiple life form sustaining

Atmosphere composite: Optimum multiple life-form sustaining

Inhabitant profile: including plant and animal existence, civilization units

Society Main: Sachia Breed

Status:Development on a below average grade 5, industrial

Threat and Resistance indicator: Below Average -6

Gender profiles: 60 female, 40 male anthropomorphic

Official Categorization:Grade 25, High

Total Planetary Annihilation and

Purging: _On cue_

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Temy fell to the floor with a loud thud and laughed, a strong burly sound that was loaded with as much arrogance as one would deem possible. Her slender figure rocked back and forth as she enjoyed the sweet release of pent-up emotion. It had been one week since her and her team had come back from their mission over in the Omega Quadrant, were they had succeeded beyond their wildest expectations. She couldn't stop herself from basking in an achievement that would have been deemed mediocre by general standards but to her, and to her relatively unimportant team, the feat was well worth celebrating.

"You, Sachia…what's so funny?"

Temy was suddenly pulled out of her trance and she lay down on her belly. She raised her face to slowly take in the purple countenance of Kiwi who now towered above her and did nothing to hide his annoyance at her outburst. She didn't stop smiling but her eyebrow twitched. The other members of her team finally reached her, having trailed her all the way from the mess hall. They came to a halt, all 3 of them, different heights and shapes somewhat dumbfounded by the peculiar scene, the auburn haired woman pressed to the floor, at the feet of one of Frieza's main boys.

"Temy, what in the gods' name…" Helu, her team leader spoke, tall, thoroughly muscular and completely no-nonsense. Temy's smile threatened to falter at the sound of his ever parental tone of voice but it remained fixed, if only to spite the always irritating Kiwi. Ever since the destruction of her planet and her following integration into the Frieza army, she had been assigned under Helu. Whatever growing up she didn't do, he beat out of her and whatever fighting skills and strategies she lacked he made sure to inculcate on her.

Kiwi's shrill voice pierced her eardrums one more time. "I said, what is so funny!"

She scowled this time and moved to sit with her legs and arms crossed. "Other than your face you mean?" Her tone was drenched in unmasked insolence.

Helu rolled his eyes and sighed, followed by Kiwi's irritated growl. Temy could only think of waving a hand absently with an air of arrogance, the husky voice reverberating through the hall as she continued. "Well, Kiwi if you so desperately want to know, we recently returned from a very successful mission, no casualties in our team, perfect scoring and planet purging in only one month. Not bad for a regular team with no Saiyans wouldn't you say? In other words I am laughing at the fact that I am so powerful I could very well destroy all your internal organs right this moment with a blink of my eyes".

Kiwi's eyes widened, mainly because her little speech lingered heavily like an actual death sentence. She wasn't more powerful than him, but the way she spoke, with total confidence and no sense of weakness made her seemed larger than she was. She was one of the few surviving warriors from the purging of her own planet, selected for the army based on her average fighting level. It disgusted him to be there right this second, minding his attention to a puny female warrior, but he remembered there was a particular reason behind his presence.

"You wench" He hissed, grabbing at his armored chest. "You'd better behave yourself in front of me. This is planet Frieza and you can't do as you wish in the base or I will make sure Lord Frieza kills you and that new Sachia faster than you can imagine!"

Temy's expression lost all its amusement and settled into a disbelieving stare. Her teammates looked at each other, utterly perplexed at what the creature had said.

"Another Sachia?" her words were a whisper, soft and delicate. They almost seemed to carry a silent plea.

"Oh I take it you don't know yet?"

The commands being pronounced across the speakers in the base were no longer audible to anyone. Intermittent beeps and signals, all pertaining to a busy headquarter, thriving with incoming and outgoing teams that scouted, patrolled and purged the Galaxy, slaves, new recruits, soldiers all together, all separate, all going their own ways. But it was lost. Temy stood up and looked at Kiwi straight in the eye.

"Another Sachia?"

"Why yes, of course" He just loved the attention, it was possibly the only time a clean, passable female like Temy would lend her unwavering interest to someone as unpopular as the purple amphibianoid.

"She was found among a group of refugees encountered on a recently purged planet. The men brought her over and you are supposed to take care of the brat. It turns out she might be useful to the empire, due to some sort of medical abilities she possesses. It seems she is of use, not for fighting but for healing. A more practical method than regeneration tanks for those who are beyond the point of no return if you know what I mean"

The slippery voice of Kiwi hung in the air long after he finished. Temy's team slowly brushed past them, her leader glancing back at her consternated face, fairly thankful that it would be at least 2 weeks before they had another one assigned. Temy was probably going to need a little time to adjust to her newly handed task.

Slowly but surely, the Sachia regained her composure. Yes it was a shock another survivor to the cruel mass murdering of her race was found, but it was probably a weakling of a creature that wouldn't last long under Frieza. She should know better than to take in the healer girl for the sake of nostalgia. The only thing that counted here was fighting power, the one her particular kind possessed which made them resilient. Her type had defended Sachia against many threats successfully over the year. That is until she turned 13 and she fought against Frieza's brutish takeover, she had struggled to defend her people, especially the weaker types within the community, such as the healers, but it had been a squandering defeat.

"Weak" she said under her breath. She walked around Kiwi, pouting a little, disdaining the other creature and allowing his time with her to end abruptly.

Kiwi, who had been enjoying the elusive female's attention couldn't help but feel a tad of embarrassment. He shook his head in disappointment. And to think he had thought he would be able to grasp her for longer than this on the juicy story of the new Sachia. Yet here she was, walking past him, snuffing as ever. He lifted his face. Suddenly there was a spark in his eyes. Ah but that wasn't all, and if that wasn't it…there was something else that couldn't fail. Another tiny piece of information he had just learned.

"Vegeta"

Temy stopped in her tracks, so suddenly Kiwi, couldn't help but chuckle. He pressed a few buttons repeatedly on his scouter. "Vegeta, and his team…I didn't expect them to arrive so soon."

There was a pang, a sudden cramp in her belly, a tingle in the palms of her hands. Kiwi turned around and looked at her back. She wasn't moving and he knew why, so he relished every second he kept her hanging. He gazed over at the thick strands of hair, coarsened by a life of constant struggle. They fell unevenly over her shoulders, stiff and rebellious. Her hips proclaimed her a female but her modestly flat chest declared her a warrior. He moved over and stood next to her. His inspection delved on her pale green features, hardened by prolonged battling, lips that were chapped by some foreign sun and a slightly boyish countenance that could sometimes get her confused with a delicate male. For some reason his simmering hate for the Saiyan flared up instantaneously.

He laughed right in her ear, the insufferable breath grazing her skin and making her flinch. It took a lot of her to ask the question that pressed at the back of her throat.

"Where?"

Kiwi looked at her profile with piercing eyes and spoke with a mocking tone. "What a bummer. I forgot the gate number".

Temy glared daggers at the creature as he slowly walked away.

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How long had it been? Five missions at least since she had last seen him. She couldn't quite remember how many weeks, how much time, but it was enough that she had started to wonder if in fact they'd ever coincide again. It was difficult for Temy to pay attention to anything around her, as she paced through the main hall in the sector. Her usual sternness now laid repressed under an expression of concern, or was it urgency. Her thoughts collided with one another in the midst of her mind, unable to form coherent patterns, forcing her to draw her brows together. Trying to think straight was made infinitely more difficult with the sudden wave of nausea that hit her stomach. It was hard to concentrate under such apprehension.

She looked around her, catching the soldiers that walked back and forth, mixed with the staff of the base, all wearing different types of uniforms, some armored, some clad in the flimsier clothing required for technicians and administrative personnel.

Temy stopped for a moment, kicking herself mentally for even being where she was. She snarled, clenched her firsts and turned back the way she came, however her pace was aimless undecided, hesitant.

"You are such an idiot" she muttered to herself. "Idiot, idiot, idiot…" When she came to a halt, she stood there, inert and stiff, grappling with the tumultuous sensations inside. As the sweat trickled down her temples, she finally decided to drop the issue. She hadn't even showered yet after her last sparring session.

It was inevitable to grimace as she glanced down at her boots and her armor, torn, beat and dirty, her skin felt sticky, her hair tousled. "Damn what a disgrace". The disgruntled Sachia shook her head and started walking just as she caught the sound of a gate opening.

An odd sense of dread crept under her skin as she turned around to gaze at the parting doors. Temy straightened her spine, no thread of feeling in her semblance. Her old self was back, a look devoid of expression, carved out of stone as she took in the three figures that began to cross the busy floor some short distance away from where she stood.

Her mind was empty and so was her face, no time to think or dwell on anything else. She became totally unaware of her presence when she began to distinguish their figures. They were now on focus, the tall, bulky man, a somewhat shorter one with a long mane of wild raven hair, and then…the eyes. Those eyes, like double edged daggers, piercing and cold as smoldering ice. Young and insolent, powerful and contained, crowned by a dark auburn upsweep of thick hair. His pacing was self assured, steady and controlled; his eyes looked straight ahead in an air of unmistaken arrogance. She knew that expression, another job well done.

He looked different since the last time she'd laid eyes on him, eyes and all else for that matter. His body seemed fuller, although still slim. His complexion slightly darker, his face a little hardened from what seemed to have been a growth spurt. She remembered, he was now 17 and if possible, now seemed so much prouder. Was that even possible? He walked in a straight line followed by his enormous body guard and the other team member. The fact that he was shorter was almost unnoticeable, so commanding his presence was, so inflicting. Temy smirked. _The soldier carries himself regally_. She remembered she had instinctively known he had royal blood even before she had been told.

They walked by some 10 meters away from her, the space between them disrupted by others going through, but she remained still. Temy's stare didn't budge, not for one second, even though it suddenly sank on her mind he wouldn't see her. He wouldn't. Part of her secretly hoped he wouldn't. She had already regretted coming here three times over. Sometimes she sure wished she could do away with the last traces of female weakness that bounded her and not even mindless killing could wipe away.

She sighed internally, at peace with herself and somewhat relieved that they were almost out of sight. She could just put it aside she supposed, the whole scene, the turmoil, the need. Just a few more steps until it's all over.

In a wave of newly found internal ease, Temy prepared herself to leave for her quarters, and then it happened, a mere second away from turning away. He glanced at her, from the corner of his eye. Glanced and smirked and when their eyes met, her perfectly composed face betrayed nothing.

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"That may have been almost enough to quench our thirst for action, and we do have a lot of thirst in us, heh Radditz?" Nappa grinned at the other Saiyan who did nothing but chuckle.

True, it had been quite a nice little mission. The highly trained and developed army put up decent resistance but their Oozaru transformations had effectively squashed all of their efforts, literally. Yet the fierce fighting had done nothing but excite them further and make them a lot more aware of their unimaginable strength. It was as if nothing could stop them and both of them still remained enthralled by the rush of it all. The sheer power and adrenaline lingered in their veins and engorged their minds.

They stood at the door to Vegeta's private quarter, looking at their leader as he busily took his armor off and remained only in the blue skintight suit underneath. His tail moved lazily back and forth before he decided to throw himself on the bed, exhausted beyond belief after the intense battling recently undergone. At that moment he was glad for the room and the luxury of a straight bed. The chamber's austerity allowed for only the basics, but a soldier didn't need much. To Vegeta it permitted some much needed privacy whenever he spent time between missions in Planet Frieza.

He lay on his back and tried to phase out Nappa's and Radditz's excited exchange. They truly didn't know when to stop, totally embellished by the ardor of fighting that still inflamed their Saiyan blood.

"Vegeta, do you think Frieza will be pleased by the news of our successful conquest when we meet him tomorrow? I am sure he will. After all, no one else could have pulled that off but us Saiyans"

Nappa stared at him expectantly but only met a Prince who seemed more withdrawn then usual. His stare seemed fixed into nothing as he lounged on the comfort of the bed. When had he grown up? The thought popped in his head unexpectedly. He had been at his side since what seemed forever, seeing him go from being nothing but a baby, to a little boy, a perfect killing machine with no regrets and no remorse.

He had awed him beyond imagination and still did, but at the moment he came to the realization that most of the chore that had been imposed on him by his King was nearly over. Vegeta was now old enough that his judgment and character had gelled. Years upon years of service, of battling and murdering had already shaped him into a unique character, fearsome and resilient. He was now more than strong enough to defend himself from the sneers and the vexations that the other important soldiers in Frieza's circle imposed on him.

Nappa's brow furrowed. Why was the kid always in the eye of the storm?

"Come on Nappa" Radditz interjected. "I think he's well exhausted and so am I. We'll deal with Lord Frieza tomorrow. I sure think he will be pleased with our performance."

Nappa ceased his sudden ruminations and nodded. They both turned to exit the room just as Vegeta turned his gaze around towards them.

"Nappa, Radditz, be ready tomorrow. Tonight should be enough to recover and appear before Frieza." At the sound of his voice they both turned their faces and nodded in unison.

"Excuse us Vegeta", Nappa muttered before they both disappeared and left him alone.

Vegeta turned his heavy gaze back to the ceiling, arms folded beneath his head. _Stupid_, He thought. _They can be so immensely stupid_.

The mission was nothing but an errand, another short-lived burst of rage where they shattered the ground full of pitiful life forms that meant nothing to him. It was nothing but a job, a means to live and survive while he harbored his true intentions, the passion that made him get up and go every time he had to fly over to another world, through harsh impossible conditions, enduring what could sometimes be extremely boring missions.

Beyond his duties as a soldier, his head remained consumed under the idea of becoming stronger, surpassing himself, except it was hard doing so when the world to purge didn't offer enough of a challenge, and 90 of the time that was the case. This time had been an exception but it still had proven not nearly enough to satisfy his personal thirst. …_Funny how others could go on living on so very little. _Or was it that nothing was ever enough for him.

Worlds and worlds, so many in so little time he had already lost the count. Even if they didn't do much to offer him an exciting fight, he still used them to exorcise whatever demon he was carrying around that day, frustration, pent-up anger, embarrassment, sheer rage. And yes, he also used them to feed the hungry beast that dwelled within, the ominous ape that lusted for blood. It was the Saiyan way. It was the way he liked to live.

Vegeta gritted his teeth. Except, once again, it wasn't nearly enough. It never was and would never be until he pushed himself to the absolute limit, until the day arrived when he'd finally manage to pull Frieza entirely from over him and take his place. His mouth literally watered the moment he pictured his hands covered in the purple blood of the emperor.

It was good to fantasize about his sweet vengeance, but the thoughts swirled in his head making it spin. It was enough for now. He needed release. He closed his eyes and let the drowsiness take over before insanity did. Vegeta deliberately shifted his murderous thoughts aside and remembered to leave the door unlocked before turning on his side, the sweet expectancy of later on hovering over him.

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This time Temy shared the room with a heavy female from the planet Riego. In reality that's all she knew about the massive being that now lay on the bed opposite from her. That and that she snored criminally loudly. Enough to make her want to kill her in her sleep and pass it off as some sort of accident. She shook the idea off of her head. It probably wouldn't be a smart move. It wasn't wise to attack someone you knew little off, even if they were on their sleep. For all she knew this monumental woman was powerful enough to fight back and perhaps kill her instead.

Tonight it didn't really matter. She looked like a busy bee, polishing her boots and putting on the tight suit that she used to carry under her protective armor. She really didn't want to bother with putting the armor on. The leggings and top that hugged her figure were more than enough, she figured. She didn't really care, throwing all sorts of junk under her bunk and grabbing a ration bar from under her pillow. Munching on it helped settle her stomach for it had been playing tricks on her for a while now. It had churned over and over again at the thoughts that now ran rampant and free in her mind.

She finished the bar with tremendous pleasure even though it didn't taste particularly great. She still chewed on it delightedly, and sucked on her fingers before reaching the door. Her heart pounded in her chest as she nibbled at her index finger. Warmth spread through the taut muscles that tightened her belly and she allowed it to do so. It extended well across her pelvis to nestle itself between her firm thighs.

Still wrapped up in the feeling she pressed the button that opened the door.

"Um, are you Temy??"

She choked. Temy pounded her chest with her fist and started coughing repeatedly, her face turning red.

The girl at the entrance dropped the bag she was carrying and hurriedly raised a palm towards her. A soft glow lightly illuminated her petite body as she eased Temy's discomfort in that single motion.

Temy touched her hand to her neck and turned towards the newcomer, sheer puzzlement in her eyes. The girl dropped the palm and looked at her with heavy eyes that were red rimmed possibly from exhaustion, maybe from crying.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I am sorry"

"Sorry…I am afraid I am on my way out and you couldn't have possibly picked a worst time so state what you want or else."

The girl flushed in embarrassment. She was younger than her and slightly shorter, with the typical light teal skin that was characteristic to the breed and short brown hair that looked like it had been cut in a haste. When she got no response from her, Temy started to lose her patience.

"Listen, kid…"

"No…not sorry, not kid. I am Nara, from Sachia" Her voice seemed to inquire and not to claim. "And you must be Temy" The girl glanced towards the bulky figure snoring inside. "Yes, you're definitely her".

Temy cursed in her mind. This was the healer girl. She certainly wanted nothing to do with it, and yet here it was, staring at her in the face like an unavoidable plague.

"Why did you seek me out?"

Nara's face twitched making it look even younger. "What do you mean why? Why wouldn't I. Aren't you glad to see me. I am glad to see you. Can I bunk in with you? It has been an awful day. I got showered with a strong hose that almost knocked me unconscious by males who wanted to grope me. I barely made it here. They said if I wanted to I could just come to you."

The older Sachia did nothing to hide her uneasiness.

"Well, you're late kid, I have a roommate and I am on my way so if you'll just…"

"Kid? how old are you? You can't be much older than me, what…maybe a couple of years?"

_Insufferable little piece of Sachia trash_. "Old enough to tell you I can't deal with you right now." Temy grabbed her shoulders and turned her around forcefully. "Scram before I seriously kill you."

Nara's voice was naturally higher pitched than hers, and it went shriller as she wined in protest. "Hey, let me stay you brute, I had forgotten some Sachias can be rather rude specially your kind!"

Temy winced and covered her ears. "Ok, ok…if I let you stay will you shut the hell up!" She wanted nothing but to leave at any cost.

Nara turned to face Temy and smiled gratefully. "I promise."

"You can have my bed tonight. Just don't make a fuss and keep your mouth shut. You haven't seen me and don't know where I went."

"Where _are_ you going?" Nara couldn't get a proper response. Temy shoved her inside before exiting and pushing the button to shut the door.


	2. Spiraling Down

**Disclaimer: **I do not own DBZ or Vegeta, but he totally haunts me.

**Warning**: Some citric action somewhere in this chapter. If you are easily offended by lemony material, I suggest you don't read on. (Full Version on Mediaminer)

Child of Desire

Chapter Two: Spiraling Down

The gate to the enormous room where Frieza usually held the meetings with his subordinates opened and closed repeatedly as several team leaders walked in and out. Outside, a considerable number of them were gathered, all in silence and concentrated on going over the exact words they would speak in front of the dreadful Ice-jin ruler, the being that held the fate of each and every one of them in his hands. It was briefing day and the powerful Lord required the most important warriors in his army, which were in fact all the ones chosen to lead teams on different missions, to appear before him, rendering a first hand account of everything important that had transpired while they were away. It was strategic protocol for Frieza who was well aware that knowledge is power, and getting to hear transcending news from his army personally gave him the upper hand on any important details he might have otherwise missed.

Not only that, but making them bow, kneel and speak before him was a crucial way to remind them who the boss is and where they belong exactly in the picture. A powerful and intelligent creature like Frieza knew how to play every single card very well and keeping his mighty servants in check and under control was his art.

Vegeta leaned against the wall, watching the others around him. Some seemed apprehensive and visibly grappling with their anxiety. Others stared listlessly into the distance, an unfocused gaze on a stern façade. One was even quietly reciting a speech, rehearsing some sort of summary or plea. He humphed.

_Idiots_

He closed his eyes, altogether bored with the entire situation. He didn't quiet like it when he was between missions. It was a poor substitute for the rush he felt cruising through his veins when he was away. Sometimes his trips lasted so long that the fact that he was serving under someone else's rule threatened to dissipate from his mind altogether. It was an intoxicating feeling to have the supplicants come before him, engorging him with an enormous sense of power as he moved about the cosmos relatively freely, no restraints and no leash on his mind. He wanted to feel that again right away and going through what he considered stupid monotonous motions did nothing but irritate him beyond words.

Vegeta gritted his teeth for a few seconds but slowly allowed himself to calm down. It was going to be alright. Just a little more of this and he would walk away from that hateful room ready to kill again, and this time he was going to make sure he enjoyed the trip as much as possible. His young Saiyan blood cried for it mercilessly, almost threatening to rip through his veins in feverous desire.

_Speaking of which…_ He smirked a little, and remained with eyes closed, allowing himself to enter into a different realm of things. Last night had been very good. No, it had been exactly what he had needed. Her hands had been every bit as curious as he remembered them to be, her muscles every bit as tense in anticipation as he had expected. Months ago when he had discovered her, he had done very little thinking and much more acting, and he blamed it all on the cruel genetic makeup of his race, which possessed a strong physiology that demanded satiating on an almost greedy level. Being 17, Saiyan and male had proven to be oddly distracting, and he could have let it get to him had it not been for the fact that a Prince was in the obligation of keeping his composure no matter what.

However, he had to admit that a lot of this temperance had to do with having her as a surefire way to release his libido. When he initially spotted her it had skyrocketed, as he felt her body contort around his during their first sparring session. There was a distinct fierceness in the female that had tugged at his loins almost immediately. Perhaps it had also been the way she had looked at him with murderous eyes whenever he succeeded in pinning her under his boot. Not that it had taken much of him to do so, but it had proven to be a surprisingly pleasant diversion to toy with the warrior kid that had insisted on proving her might to him even through her pathetic power level. He had enjoyed the way her body had rubbed against his, as strange as it had felt, as foreign. It had been quiet an unforeseen surprise.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes as he stared at his boots lazily. Yes, her skin had been every bit as supple last night and it still smelled the way he remembered it. It was different than the smell of males which was more common to his nose and had an offensive and heady note to it. On the contrary, her smell was riddled with little messages that screamed at him silently, and it crept under his skin hardening him without question, hardening him right now in fact. He felt a warmth burn his cheeks, which were still pudgy with the fat of his youth.

"Vegeta"

He turned his head around swiftly, abandoning all thoughts at once as he stared into Zarbon's green visage.

"Don't keep Frieza waiting".

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The eyes were gleaming on the small, horned creature. His face exuded a thrill that had been missing all throughout the day and which both Zarbon and Dodoria observed with a little annoyance. Frieza had seemed outright jaded as he sat through the cue of seemingly endless commanders and such, who came forth to tender their reports and their praises. And now the short creature, which in fact could snap their necks with so little as lifting a finger sat leaning forward, an amused smirk tugging at his dark purple lips.

"Hmm. I heard the fighting was heavy but the world was left remarkably intact. Not too bad, soldier Vegeta."

The Saiyan allowed himself to sneer for a bit, but immediately resorted back to a straight face.

"Lord Frieza, the warriors on Ladera were impressively powerful, even for a Saiyan, but our breed is nothing short of extraordinary. We are capable of even more and there is nothing that can stop us in our unappeasable desire to crush and grind whatever comes into our path." He made his hand into a fist, his eyes almost bulging with excitement and a malicious grin well planted on his features. "You can be sure we will only get better at what we do. We are unstoppable, we are…."

"Monkeys…" a tiny whisper in the middle of giggles seeped into the room.

Frieza's eyes drifted to the side to look at Dodoria. The pink, obese warrior immediately straightened his spine and looked right ahead. Vegeta tightened his fists so much the bones in his hands threatened to snap. His neck went stiff with the tremendous effort it took to contain the rage that waddled within. Still, he knew better than to mind another one of Dodoria's vexatious remarks. If he could only kill him… He wished for a day when he'd be able to blast the bastard and make him explode into little pieces.

Frieza had gone oddly quiet, scrutinizing Vegeta from head to toe and delving into his eyes with a penetrating gaze.

"Lord Frieza, give us bigger and better planets to clean out, and rest assured we won't fail you. Raise the challenge and you won't be disappointed." Vegeta bowed before him, and the act took every single ounce of power his body held. This is what he desperately wanted, to not be underestimated, to keep thriving, to let his power surge and explode into what it was meant to be.

"Let us serve you better…" …to get stronger, like only Saiyans could.

Frieza turned around in his hover seat, giving his back to the Prince who now straightened his body and looked at him in expectation. The pale and pink lizard-like creature whirled the black beverage in his wineglass glass around before taking a sip and staring through the huge window panel ahead of him.

"It is a nice day wouldn't you say, Vegeta, quiet and enjoyable to say the least."

Vegeta responded with a puzzled short sound that escaped his throat. His face now held an expression of confusion and his eyes had widened a little. "Lord Frieza…"

The Ice-jin continued "Yes, indeed it is a nice weather. The fact that this is mostly a dark planet doesn't make it any less of a treat. Tell me, how long has it been since you last took a few days off?"

Vegeta could only respond with silence.

The ruler chuckled and his eyes remained fixed into the distance. "I thought so. I trust that the fact that I have nothing to give you at the moment will come as a gift. I will certainly consider your loyal request to work harder in the name of my empire, but for now, well you see…" Frieza's voice became low as he enunciated every word "I just don't require your services".

Vegeta's heart sank, his face disconcerted as his eyes shook in disbelief. "I thought we had a cue of planets lined up for purging, the Galied system…"

"I have assigned our missions already and soldier Vegeta, your turn will come believe me. You have a duty to fulfill, but for now, you are to remain in the base and wait for my orders".

"Wait for your orders…" Vegeta grappled with his usually immaculate self-control. "But the Saiyan team is the strongest most talented, I don't understand. How long…"

Zarbon took a step forward and glared at him, issuing a heavy warning, "You'd better turn around, and keep your questions to yourself little chimp. Lord Frieza has been rather clear…"

"Now Zarbon, that is not a very nice thing to say, is it. " Frieza said quietly. "I am sure Vegeta understands that he is now dismissed and is to remain in the base and patiently wait until I deem it appropriate to send him off to a mission. The Saiyan team is not our only team and thus all our purges have been assigned. We are still running reconnaissance on several systems. Something will come up at some point, of that I am sure. And believe me, Vegeta, you'll have plenty of time to apply your loyalty to me and all that is my glory. I will make sure of that. As of now young _Prince.._." He hissed, a frown forming on the Ice-jin's face "…you sit, wait and take the opportunity to think about the years to come and how big your contribution to the Cold Family will be."

Vegeta's jaw was clenched tight. A million emotions were contained in his chest, frustration, humiliation, all of which he had felt before, but now they were blown up and accompanied by something else. Dread. He had read through his intentions, of leaving him stranded, of stifling his progress. The tyrant had beaten him without even raising a finger. His hatred became so large it threatened to make him convulse. And yet his countenance, tense as it was, did not betray a single emotion.

"Now let's hope something good comes up soon to assign the Saiyans to". Frieza's tone was loaded with something that seemed like irony. "Perhaps it won't be too long, perhaps."

Unable to say a word, the prince backed off a few steps. After moments of heavy silence, Vegeta bowed down again before turning around and leaving the room.

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The whistling, hissing and calling was so loud it almost disrupted Temy's tremendous composure. Almost, for achieving so had proven to be nearly impossible. She was in the middle of the ample hall that served as a locker and shower room for the soldier's of the lower strata. Numerous bathroom stalls lined up the far east wall and a wide area for showering stood at the north side. Windows that stretched all the way to the ceiling covered pretty much the rest of the room, and they now reflected the heavily leering faces of at least a dozen soldiers. They were done with the showering part, including Temy, but they now hovered around, shamelessly uttering a numerous array of what was understood to be vulgarities in many different dialects.

She sat on a bench, polishing her boots, taking her time to make sure she got them as clean and shiny as possible. Her gaze appeared to be fixed in space, drenched in remarkable coolness considering the fact that she was practically in the nude, wearing nothing but skintight shorts. She concentrated on the task at hand, not minding the loudness that surrounded her.

Years of dwelling between men of every possible planet had accustomed her to dealing with crude sexual advances and it certainly did not affect her at all. A female warrior couldn't fret about such things, she could only defend herself to the best of her abilities and try to gain enough respect to be left alone. She generally was, despite her youth, but she had to admit a lot of that probably had to do with Helu.

As she was used to the practicality of being a member of the army, she didn't concern herself with covering her body as if she were some sort of delicate little female. It really didn't seem like a big deal to her to remain bare breasted while she finished fixing her uniform. She would later put her armor back on and walk away, leaving them with their dicks between their legs.

She finally grimaced in disgust as one of the soldiers began to drool.

"We could show you a good time, if you'd just budge for once" A tall, muscular fighter from the Jop system claimed, followed by a heavy round of support. They shoved each other in what she believed to be a pathetic display of remarkable lack of self-control. She knew she could probably kill several of them, weak enough to be blown up by her energy blasts, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. She blamed it on boredom.

Heavy laughter followed as a small chubby warrior got pushed to the front by several heavier ones. She couldn't help but think he reminded her of Ghurd, from the Ginyu Force. His bulgy eyes widened at her presence and a few tubular organs that looked like whiskers began protruding from his greenish face. Temy closed her eyes to avoid providing them with an idea of how disgusted she really was. Instead her face remained icy, to their further dismay.

"Come on Friol, show her what you're made of" A lanky guard with a particularly shrill voice cried out as he lent himself to a bout of manic laughter that infected the rest of the males present.

The thick sound reverberated across the hall, but to her surprise it seemed to come to a sudden halt. Only the guard's strident laughter remained, singled out in a void of silence. She couldn't help but open her eyes as curiosity got the best of her. When she did, she saw they stood next to her rigid and mute, glancing at the door. Some of them stared agape while others gritted their teeth in what looked like utter panic.

The guard that was left laughing alone, stopped abruptly as it came to his attention that something wasn't quite right. "Guys, what is the matter…" his voiced trailed off into unintelligible gibberish as he turned in the direction of the gate, instantly falling prey to the same spell that had overtaken his companions.

She didn't quite understand why, but she could feel him, a warm buzz that walked through her veins and lingered at her fingertips. It felt good, but it hurt at the same time, making her skin feel like burning. Sometimes however, she had to admit she didn't quite like that sensation. It felt like it threatened to pierce through to her very essence.

Temy stood up and turned to face the door in one single movement. Her perfectly collected presence suddenly split open into something else. Her lips parted a little as she quietly observed him, standing there at the door. The scowl in his face carried such intensity it could've made anyone lose their grip, and the soldiers around her started lowering their faces. They began to quietly exit the premise with as much agility as possible. She could see them scurry through the door, avoiding contact with him desperately.

When the last one had left, he shut the gate and locked it, eyes wide and menacing, lips perfectly sealed. She could have sworn she was having an out of body experience, that she had lost control of her motor functions, or that she was running on adrenaline alone. Her species had a particular sensitivity to others emotions and what she gathered from his current state struck her deeply. Her mind suddenly didn't know how to sit or stop as it wandered around in circles inside her brain. The swirls prevented her from rationalizing. All she could think of was acting, doing, screaming at him. _Screaming his name_.

She could see his chest heaving, his breathing uneven, as he walked towards her in determined steps, his white and gold battle armor and blue suit underneath making him look every bit as dangerous as she knew he was but no fight or flight instinct rouse within her. When he reached her, their foreheads touched, his dark eyes closing and his breathing turning into pants. That's when she moved her face to touch his lips with her, their rhythm brushing against her mouth, making her yearn for some sort of release that only they could give her.

_Battle, struggle, wild clouds of smoke and stardust_. They collided and whirled around in his mind and she couldn't piece it together. There was too much going on, more than she could sense. All that his convulsed state expressed was rage and passion, unavoidable and incontinent.

She gritted her teeth relishing the touch of her lips against the corner of his, and when he opened his eyes, black as coal, she could do nothing but surrender, wholly and fully. More than that, she insisted on doing so, driving her mind eagerly into the ground and stomping it to pieces, letting her desire take over. A sense of guilt squirmed inside her, but she brushed it aside. She avoided thinking about others, especially Helu, she avoided feeling shame for the expectation cramping in her lower belly.

Vegeta quickly pushed her into one of the bathroom stalls, the door making a loud noise as it swiveled from the force he used in the process. She growled deep within her throat as her back hit the wall, clasping her arms around his neck fervently.

What was that she was struggling with, a plea? It was an agonizing, plea. It cried sharply inside her chest, it was screeching so loud it became unbearable. With as much resolve as she could gather, she surrounded his waist with her strong legs, wrapping herself around him with both her body and her mind.

He was so loud in her brain, so profound, that her entire universe exploded with his name. She wanted him to penetrate her and shatter her. She fed off his turmoil, fury and agitations, letting a blazing fire sputter between her thighs. His male heat, his warm breath and his musky sweat hit her hard like a sledgehammer and she decided there was nothing else she wanted more than to give in to another session of nasty hidden sex.

Vegeta made a soft guttural sound that sounded like a purr, heavy with wanton. When he crushed her lips with his, the world's doors closed tight and blackness cloaked them, taking them to a secret internal corner, private to all.

His mouth crushed and ground and so did hers, their strained breath a loud noise that hit the walls continuously. Eventually the kiss softened enough to allow for their tongues to interact and they gave in to interlacing moans of pure unadulterated need. Her sweaty palms worked themselves up the base of his neck and into his thick, hair, her fingers crawling into the dark upright strands that had caught her eye the first time she'd actually seen him.

And she indulged in it, the long fervent, seemingly endless kiss, his soft playful tongue and each and every sound that he tormented her with. His hands firmly holding her tight and in place, he kissed and kissed, drinking out of her and feeling as if each gulp actually got him thirstier. Ironically each second also soothed his craving.

_Satisfaction, yearning, abandon..._ Temy smiled against his hot and moist mouth. Her lips curled and a long _aaah_ slipped out of her in sheer pleasure. _Lust_… The tip of her tongue traced his upper lip, making him groan softly and return the motion by tugging lightly at her lower lip. What followed were the soft suction movements of their mouths, and her arms tightening around his neck while he pressed his body to hers. She could feel the pulsating need between his legs as he pressed his groin against her and ground his hips greedily.

They kissed for what seemed an eternity and when he finally let go her lips were pink and swollen. She felt humidity threatening to drip down her thighs and she released his waist, bringing her feet to the ground.

A soft whimper escaped her lips as she stood on shaky knees. Temy managed to close her thighs as strongly as possible and pressed her fists against her groin, so consuming was her need. She winced and squirmed, slowly leveling her gaze to his, only to encounter partially opened eyes, heavy with a hazy hunger. His mouth was still open, his breathing was still quick and he leaned his forehead against an arm that was braced against the wall.

It was understood. They were now in the same dimension, miles away from their surroundings. Vegeta smirked and run his hand up along her waist and unto her back, pulling her to him.

"Let's get out of here." He said.

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A dim light covered the austere room like a soft blanket. Temy figured it was a combination of both the light that seeped in from underneath the entrance gate and the one that shone through the small round window. Combined with the quietness around her, it made for a perfectly soothing atmosphere. She sat on a chair, knees to her chest and arms wrapped around her legs staring at him with drowsy eyes.

There was silence except for the subtle sound of his breathing, even and profound as he lay on his back asleep on the bed. There was light enough to make out every detail of his body, the leg peering from under the tousled bed cover, his bare tapered waist, the gentle rhythmic motion of his chest. His face still revealed a slight frown that resisted leaving his features even when he slept, but overall she thought he looked as relaxed as it was possible for him.

It was uncommon for her to be in this position. Every time they'd shed their wanton together, one of the two would leave right afterwards, perhaps due to the fact that it had nearly always happened under strenuous circumstances, a dark storage room on the way to a Frieza troop review, under the stairwell on the docking bay, in her room when there was no one else. She had always felt an urgency to get in there with him but once it was over, she had felt the urgency to get out, words unsaid and eyes unable to meet. It had almost acquired a sense of being a dirty little thing that got the best of her and she couldn't control. In the 3 years she had spent under Frieza's rule, she had never crossed paths with anyone she wanted to let go with, or anyone who would make so much blood pump through her veins, and when she yielded, over and over again, part of her insisted on feeling guilty. She supposed pleasure was a little harder to endure than pain.

After parting, the last time they saw each other, not a single muscle had moved in her face. She wouldn't dwell on the possibility of crossing paths again, but now she couldn't deny she had longed for it. Maybe the thought of his sudden departure happening over again had made her stay up with him last night, watching him sleep for hours, just as she did today. The idea of lying beside him was unfathomable, unthinkable. The idea of leaving was unbearable.

Suddenly, Temy perked up her head as she saw his breathing change. Vegeta shifted his position slightly, before opening his eyes. He knew he wasn't alone and that made him tense up for a brief moment before realizing there was no threat to be wary of. He turned to look at her, eyes narrowed to a slit. His head still felt rather cloudy from sleepiness but he could very well distinguish who she was, sitting there, staring at him intently.

He turned around and gazed back up at the ceiling. "What the hell are you looking at? You should be gone by now." When he got no response, he looked at her again from the corner of his eye and lifted an eyebrow. The creature was thoroughly incomprehensible, as much as she was alluring. He believed it was slightly annoying to have her hover around the way she did last night and tonight, but waking up in her presence hadn't felt nearly as uncomfortable as he'd thought it would feel.

He sat up in the bed and leaned against the headboard before picking up the scouter on the small table beside him. He proceeded to ignore her, putting it on and beginning to browse through transmissions that broadcasted any recent developments on the base. Vegeta's face grew tense and his jaw clenched and unclenched several times before throwing the scouter back on the table. He huffed and gazed at her from heavy dark eyes.

"I am going to kill him". He stated in an even tone.

"Dare to dream Saiyan" She hissed. "_**I**_ am going to kill him. I am going to make his heart explode in his chest. Just wait and see".

Vegeta's eyes narrowed as they hovered on her face, which was now contorted under an expression of pure defiance. His sudden chuckling derived into laughter.

"You are nothing but a weakling. But I suppose you can delude yourself if you want to." His sarcasm actually bit her pride and got her irritated. In a quick movement she got up and knelt on the bed, her face inches away from his.

"If you prefer, I can hand his heart to you while it still beats so you can look at it with your own eyes. Then I will cut him into bite sized pieces and feed him to the beasts on my planet once I manage to go back and kill everyone who unrightfully occupied it." Her twisted smile taunted him, and she enjoyed every second of her little speech. It was what she held unto every night and actually uttering the words made it seemed a little more real.

Vegeta crossed his arms and slanted his face. "Hn, your sense of humor is striking, female. Maybe I will let you keep your life once I take over his throne and wipe the worst scum off the army ". Her proximity made his eyes wander south down to her chest, unable to move from her rigid peaks. He knew he was swollen again, and he hated it, hated how much he wanted to shed himself into her.

She grinned. "The Saiyans may be good to clean my boots and run my errands when I make Frieza choke on his own bile. What do you have to say to that?"

Vegeta thought he'd heard enough of her insolence and glared at her. "Stupid girl".

She cocked her head and smirked. All of a sudden, her eye caught his tail as it undulated slowly under the covers. A breath escaped her and she slid her hand to pull it out. It was a bold move. He never allowed her to even graze it, for he obviously considered it his most vulnerable and sensitive part. Her firm hold made Vegeta jerk and place his palms on the bed. He would have yanked it off her hand, but the way her fingers grazed the silky fur, made it impossible for him to do so…

_A/N: For uncensored version visit Mediaminer (under my pen name Caprice)_


	3. A Walk in the Dark

**Disclaimer: **I do not own DBZ, or Vegeta…but I'm all his.

Child of Desire

Chapter Three: A Walk in the Dark

The air was cool and crisp outside on planet Frieza. It carried the sounds of soldiers engaged in sparring matches, yelps and blows, mixed with occasional cheering and mutters from those who stood witness. Some preferred to use only their bare fists; others clanked different weapons together. They all worried about maintaining their physiques in peak condition to be able to meet the expectations of their master once they were given a new assignment.

Two Saiyans, arms crossed and brows furrowed, stood at the sideline. The tallest, bulkiest one carried an expression of odd concern in his stern features. The scouter he wore was on, projecting symbols, text and images which messages were only audible to his ear.

"You could at least pretend to be calm." Radditz sounded a tad annoyed. "You are going to drive me insane with that permanent vigil of yours. So we have to wait a while for the next mission, it can't possibly be that bad Nappa."

The older warrior growled as he ground his teeth. "Argh, Don't be foolish. You can't possibly understand. The sooner we are out of this base the better, and if I could do anything to achieve that faster, believe me, I would."

"Ha. I sure hope I don't become that stiff once I get older." Radditz frowned. Nappa had truly been in a constant state of tension since hearing the news from Vegeta Ouji, that they weren't going anywhere anytime soon. Their Prince had been oddly quiet and it had taken him several moments to finally utter the words in as dry a tone as was possible. However, he certainly didn't appear very concerned about the issue and had remained oddly cool for the past couple of days. Granted, Vegeta was even quieter than usual, but as far as Radditz could see, the only one making a fuss about leaving soon was Nappa.

Radditz also knew that somewhere deep down inside, it all had to do with Nappa still being in babysitter mode. It sometimes irritated him that regardless of Vegeta having recently turned 17, the bodyguard still felt as if he had to know where he was at all times, carrying a latent unease that occasionally puzzled him. It usually happened when they were between missions, or on particularly long reconnaissance tours that required them to part ways for a while.

It had gotten worst a few months ago once he had found out about the girl. It really never surprised Radditz. At some point the growth spurt had to catch up with hi Prince and it was suitable for him to start bedding in order to dispose of the heavy physiological needs of their race, but Nappa brooded quietly in a corner, without saying a word.

"Dammit". The bigger warrior pressed a button in his scouter to turn it off. He never took his eyes off the matches ahead, but seemed focused on some inside issue that still proved incomprehensible to Radditz. The Saiyan glared at him before shaking his long mane in disapproval.

A few moments of silence stretched on between them, the stillness suddenly broken sharply by Vegeta's deep voice.

"They are all weaklings." He stated, walking slowly to position himself between them. Radditz was still getting used to his tone of voice. It hadn't been long before it had thickened and gone from childlike to sounding like a grown male. It certainly had been amusing to hear him breaking off in the middle of a sentence occasionally during the quick growth phase, his voice striving to get adjusted to the rapid changes he was suffering. It certainly had made for a very frustrated and irritable boy right before having to appear before Frieza. His pride only seemed to have grown along with his body and he occasionally had engaged in a frenzied pounding of the wall in his room after having met with the cold blooded lizard. The sound had kept him and Nappa awake in the room right next door for more times than he could count.

"You are right, my Lord. But I honestly think even these pitiful spars can be amusing to watch occasionally. It helps spend the time" Nappa responded.

"Of course they are weaklings. Nearly everybody is next to us Saiyans. We were born to be warriors and we thrive on fighting. It is our nature. Someday we may be able to restore the glory to our name." Radditz finished his little speech by glancing down at Vegeta. His eyes carried a huge sense of pride and expectation.

The smaller frame of Vegeta remained unmovable, but his slanted smile widened, eyes suddenly ablaze.

Nappa cleared his throat and closed his eyes, his brows heavy and drawn together. He then looked at his ward from the corner of his eye.

"I think it may be enough for today. It's better if we head back and grab something to eat. Vegeta, you are still putting on some muscular mass from the growth phase you have been going through in the past years. Saiyans need to double the intake of food, even after it's over." Nappa's voice was harsh and authoritative. He turned to walk back into the base but Vegeta moved forward, dismissing his words entirely.

"Nappa, get back here. Let's show this idiots what true power is. "He looked at his bodyguard from the corner of his eyes, his gaze sharp and demanding.

Radditz smirked, but when he looked back into Nappa's features, all he could see was restraint. The bulky warrior lifted his eyebrow and visibly tensed up.

"What are you waiting for, get back here and spar with me. I can't afford to lose shape while Frieza keeps me waiting". Vegeta's voice was gruff and impatient. Nappa straightened his back and met his gaze.

"Vegeta Ouji, we can leave it for tomorrow. It may be best to save your energy. For all we know Frieza might send us away any minute." He interjected.

There was a total change in Vegeta's expression as it went from cold composure to sudden infuriation. His eyes widened and his nose flared a little. Radditz could actually feel a heavy energy charge the space between them.

"If you don't do as I say, I may have no choice but to dispose of you. So if you don't want to push your luck, you'd better come here and fight me, and do so with all your strength or else I will kill you." With that he turned around and walked a few steps onwards.

Nappa only hesitated for a few seconds before following him. His fists were clenched and so was his jaw. Radditz smirk got erased as a sudden sense of dread fell upon him. He thought he had never seen him this unsettled.

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"3 days Vegeta Ouji…" The whisper echoed through his brain, its underlying hiss chilling his blood." 3 months…3 years…13 years in waiting."

He knew it wasn't so, but it felt like the first time he'd heard it, the voice…so heavy with certainty, crackling with a sense of impending doom. He couldn't see anything around him, a thick obscurity enveloping him entirely, and for the following moments everything he could hear was the sound of his own shallow breath. It resonated strongly in his ears, as he walked about aimlessly, striving to find the tiniest pinpoint of light, trying to feel his way out. But he wasn't alone, and he knew it. He could feel it.

The whispers would come back, the same way they had since he was 4 and he couldn't make them stop.

"Vegeta Ouji, why do you hide?"

He lashed out at the darkness. "I have nothing to hide! I will come into the light, and you shall see!" His breath quickened. He desperately needed to act upon his words, but the light was nowhere to be seen, he thought he had caught a flicker, but there was nothing to grasp, and the minutes ticked, like a heavy clock resonating inside his head.

"I am waiting…" The whisper got softer, multiplying into a million replicas.

"Stop!!!, leave me be, leave me alone!!!! If you would just stop for a minute, until I find it! ". He ran, blindly, thinking the faster he did so, the faster he'd get there. Logic dictated he had to run into it at some point and then he'd be able to prove the insidious voice wrong. The Prince of the Saiyan race had no reason to hide, he just needed an instant and he would find it. It was only a matter of time.

He ran around in the pitch black that surrounded him for what seemed like an eternity until the air got completely sucked out of his lungs. The pressure around him had skyrocketed and it now felt as if it was dragging him down. The air got thinner and the sole act of taking it in made his entire body strain. But he kept at it; he had to, even if it suddenly felt like the ground was threatening to bury him alive.

His inhalations became nothing but a string of oxygen pulled with much effort down his throat. They sounded like a high-pitched hiss. He drew his hands to his throat as if the act would help him regain the strength to survive, but all he felt were small chubby hands, the hands of a child, which then moved to his face to feel the round cheeks, the small nose, the delicate features.

"Where am I…" His voice was a croak. He was unsure if he had the strength to keep moving and a sense of panic began trickling inside his brain. "You…" He fell to his knees and groaned loudly. "Where are you…"

The creature's laughter inundated the place until it became so loud he felt a heavy pain in his ears. He tried to cover them with his hands, but they made a wet sound as they touched his skin. It seemed they were covered in something. For some reason he didn't need any light to tell him it was blood, but he wasn't sure if it was his, what or who it was from. They were so drenched in the substance that he could feel it trickling slowly down his cheek.

The sudden shock made him lose balance and fall back on his bottom. He was surprised to hear a splashing sound as he did, for it seemed the entire ground was inches deep with the thick liquid. The notion of what he sat on and the stench around was almost impossible to bear. It smelled of death, clear and abundant.

Maybe it was the inability to stand back up or the darkness that stretched on endlessly before him, but he felt like screaming, except he couldn't bring himself to do so. The pressure was worst inside his chest and he was incapable of filling his lungs.

His scream imploded within him, sheer terror devouring his last thread of strength, but for some reason, at that very moment, his mind pried open and wandered off into a distant memory. He thought of the stars, fading fast behind a window, the feeling of a warm presence right beside him during the journey. He reached back to that sensation he had felt, of confidence and security. His spirit had been thoroughly inspired, sitting right next to him, the last day he had seen him, and it felt like it had been so long ago. Had it really been over 10 years?

"_Father, how many stars are there in the universe?" His brows were drawn together but the scowl did nothing to spoil the soft features of his young face. He sat on the ship while his father looked over him through the window. The regal way he straightened his spine and the proud look on his face forever imprinted on the child's brain._

"_As many as you want there to be. How many is it you want, Vegeta Ouji?_

"_I want them all". He grinned mischievously, with a glint of excitement in his eye. _

_His father chuckled lightly. Vegeta then leaned back on his seat and sighed. The smile on his face broadened as he placed a hand against the cool window and looked through his fingers. He had never felt taller in his life. He was larger than the universe itself. _

The suffocated screams inside him crashed the image and sent it away in clouds of smoke…it was smoke and stardust, it clouded his mind. He failed when he attempted to reach back to that moment in time. He thought he was able to pull through and identify it, grabbing at the edge of it, clinging to it desperately, he was nearly there. It was a matter of life or death. If he didn't pull it back he would certainly suffocate. There was close to zero oxygen now in his blood and every second was agony. Yes, he found it, he started piecing it back together but just then, right that second, he felt the claws of more than one creature grab at his legs and begin to pull him under.

--------------------------------------------

The liquid inside the regeneration tank bubbled as Vegeta thrashed within. His vitals were off the hook but the controls indicated that he had finally reached the end of the healing cycle.

"Drain the tank at once and pull him out. He seems unstable". The doctor on the shift motioned to his reptilian helper, who proceeded to carry on the orders. Halfway through the draining of the tank, Vegeta opened his eyes and pulled the hose that had been sustaining him away from his face. He desperately brought his hands to his neck and coughed, the feeling of no air still lingering in his lungs.

He doubled over inside the tank and regardless of his condition now being officially brought back to normal he felt a sense of weakness throughout his body. There was no way he could move a finger at the moment. His limbs wouldn't respond.

The doctor widened his eyes as he saw him fall over and curl up. He then started frantically pushing the buttons on the control panel, seeking out an explanation to the unsettling episode. He was alright, by all definitions, but it seldom happened that a patient would react in a way that wasn't consistent with the data.

The green creature that was his assistant opened up the regen tank and took a glance inside, Looking at the Saiyan that lay within, unconscious and naked.

He then motioned at the quiet girl that stood against the far wall of the room. "Kid!"

Nara tensed up immediately.

"Come here and help me out!"

--------------------------------------------

The short white gown they had given her to wear proved slightly uncomfortable when trying to move the limp stranger unto a bunk. It just wasn't female proof. She had no problem with it rising up her thighs to reveal them further; she was used to a culture that had no trouble with feminine nudity. But still, she felt a little too vulnerable among perfect aliens. Nevertheless, it was better than the tattered clothes she had arrived with, and if you looked at it closely, it tended to ruffle around her like some sort of lose dress. She supposed the cut made her look like a little girl, younger than her 14 years of age, something that could rouse no respect from anyone on the icy base.

Nara and Mr. Longbeak (as she secretly called the doctor's assistant) managed to move the patient successfully, although it did make her break a little sweat. She took a moment to analyze him, the anguished expression in his face, the strands of wet hair that had stuck to his forehead, rebelling against the others that oddly enough, wanted to remain mostly stiff. He seemed very young, she thought, and the way his features were set right now, made him look rather defenseless. She glanced quickly at the doctor, who was currently heatedly discussing something with the reptile. They seemed too busy to notice her, as she continued perusing her new discovery. It was most decidedly, the strangest boy she'd ever seen. A little hesistant at fist she cleared the hair from his forehead to reveal a wide and high forehead that struck her as odd. It did go well with his face though, and she was smart enough to appreciate that fact.

Knowing that curiosity always got the best of her and often got her in trouble was still not enough to prevent her from indulging in running her fingertips down his neck and over his chest. There were scars across it, and also on his shoulders from wounds that definitely seemed to have been rather deep and life threatening. A sensation of grief sailed within her at the notion of what that implied. He really did look so youthful, but the torture carved in his body and on his expression would make anyone think he had lived through a lot.

She contained a tiny gasp as she let her eyes wander further down. She quickly turned her head the other way, squinting as hard as she could. Naked, he was so very naked. Not accustomed to dealing with male nudity, worse if it was from someone alien to her race, she started muttering something under her breath.

"Kid, what are you waiting for, maybe it's time for you to perform that trick of yours and revive the patient". Mr. Longbeak explained looking rather apprehensive.

"You fool, the girl is to be reserved for later, after further studies have been conducted. These are orders from Frieza himself. Her healing powers are unstable, might also kill the patient or drain her to a point of rendering her useless for the future. " The doctor retorted.

The reptile shook his head "But doctor, this is an emergency, Vegeta's vitals keep dropping and what is Lord Frieza going to say if something was to happen to him" He pointed a finger with a claw in the Saiyan's direction " _Him!_ He would kill us! That goes without saying!"

The doctor paced around in a circle, holding his chin. "The regen tank, set up the regen tank again and let's see if that's able to stabilize him. It should".

Longbeak groaned and jumped a little "Two regen tank sessions together, it would certainly take a toll on his body, it would prove detrimental, almost poisoning to his system!"

The doctor knew he was right. It was ill advised to use the regeneration tanks more than once every couple of weeks. Using it twice in a row could produce a lot more harm than good. Hurried beeps on the screens made them both glance at it fretfully. Vegeta's heart beat had accelerated dangerously, putting him in impending danger.

"Doctor! Use the girl"

"You idiot, I am trying to think!" He shook the assistant by the collar, lifting him off the floor and making his short legs paddle for support.

Mr. Longbeak's voice was a barely audible croak "she can…fix it."

The doctor shook him some more "Don't you see we would be disobeying Frieza's direct orders? Nothing goes unnoticed in the base, he _will_ find out!" He was really telling that to himself, rather than to the gagging creature. The situation couldn't present itself worse.

"I won't tell".

The two of them turned to her at once, eyes dramatically big in desperation. "Huh? What…what did you say?" Came the green one's oily voice.

Nara frowned a little. She knew Frieza's orders where taken rather seriously and she was currently being treated as some valuable experiment to be analyzed and whose energy they'd want to harness for the future. At the moment, she was to spend her days supporting the medical unit and undergoing all sorts of tests, but she knew she could do this, seldom had she lost control at the moment of healing someone. She could only remember it happening once, when as a little child she had wanted to heal a creature of the forest, and had winded up killing it instead.

"You'd better make sure you do it right, or else Frieza will have all our heads severed" The doctor looked at her gravely.

"I can do it" Nara turned to look back at the boy, sweat was breaking throughout his body and his muscles contracted as if he were waging some sort of internal battle. "What he is suffering will not be treated with that" she gestured towards the tank before placing a hand over his forehead.

"The physical wounds have already been treated; it will make my job rather easier. All I really have to do is try to normalize his patterns here". Her fingers lingered on his head.

The doctor and the reptile stood expectant as she closed her eyes and began the process. It usually didn't take more than a few moments. Her body didn't begin to glow in a soft hazy light as it would have been expected, nor did anything within the room change at all. She just stood there, a frown etched in concentration, pressing her fingers to the Saiyan.

After a few seconds, the beeping of the machines acquired a more paused frequency. Vegeta's features began to relax, the frown almost disappearing from his face completely. Both the doctor and his assistant sighed in relief. "It's working" they said in unison.

Nara smiled a bit. It was. She could feel his life force coming back into full balance and strength, and wow, was it strong! The pulsation of it resounded within her very strongly, becoming almost unbearable. The turmoil within his body ceased but she left her hands right where they were. The boy looked peaceful, his body and brain functions back to complete normalcy.

So that was his name? She thought she knew who he was. She'd heard all about it in the mess hall while eating with Temy's team when the older girl had been away fetching something. Nara was aware of what went on between the fellow Sachia and this male. This was the boy she had been seeing so much of for the past few days.

Her face carried a beaming smile, her wide eyes glittering behind the soft juvenile features that distinguished her from the rest at the base. "Vegeta" her whisper was nearly silent.

It all happened too suddenly for her to take notice of anything. A loud gasp escaped her throat as she felt a rather strong pull on her wrist. Black eyes stared at her under heavy brows, and they carried no inkling of rationality in them. In fact she felt a shiver run down her spine as he pierced her with them. Nara almost felt as if he was seeing her without really _seeing_ her at all.

One minute she was carrying that thought and the next she felt a bout of spiritual energy blast her and throw her across the room. She hit the wall so hard with her head, she almost felt as if she was going to pass out, but somehow remained conscious.

She scurried to a corner and remained there, totally agape. She saw him get up and off the bunk immediately, starting to walk about looking for his clothing and boots.

"Vegeta-sama, how are you feeling? You gave us quite a scare! It might be best to avoid going overboard with the sparring matches." The doctor spoke hurriedly while tugging at his heavy moustache.

Vegeta started getting dressed with certain tranquility in his strict features. "What was I doing on the bunk? Why didn't I wake up in the tank?" His harsh deep tone made both the doctor and the assistant a little nervous.

"the the the…." Mr. Longbeak couldn't quite get the words out. The few times he had had to face the Prince he had done so reluctantly. He did have a big reputation for being explosive. "The regen tank didn't quite work, agh!". He grimaced as the doctor's elbow hit him hard in the ribs.

Vegeta looked at him from the corner of his eye, suspicion beginning to rise in his darkened face. "What do you mean it didn't quite work?"

The doctor smiled widely, his eyes becoming nothing but a squint. "Nothing major really. Just be careful not to overdo it much in those practice matches. Nappa suffered quite a lot himself, thankfully nothing requiring being placed in the tank. What matters most is you are fully well and recovered now."

Vegeta finished pulling down his white armor. He then glared at them furiously before pointing a finger in their direction. "You, tell me exactly what the hell happened to me or believe me, I will kill you right here right now!"

They both held each other and took a step back. The reptile couldn't help but look in Nara's direction, who now sat on the floor, looking at everyone behind wide eyes.

Vegeta followed the gaze and met her with his own, aware of her presence for the very first time. His face was wary, the slant of his head and the slightly arched eyebrow making him look every bit as menacing as was possible.

After a moment, he turned his eyes back to the pair that now hugged each other nervously. He thought he understood. It took very little for him to figure things out. The regen tank had failed to heal him completely and there had still been something wrong with him when he first had woken up. He could remember gasping for air. He could remember the feeling of almost dying in his sleep. The nightmares were recurrent with him since he was a child, but these past few days they were getting considerable worse and more vivid. He doubted he'd ever get rid of them, but at least he'd always been able to control them, until now. It didn't matter if the war was waged in his mind; it was still beginning to have repercussions on his body, and those could very well be life threatening. And that girl…he thought he remembered a mysterious force quieting down the beating of his heart. He glanced at her and held her eyes with his once more. It was disquieting how she wouldn't lower her face…

He turned around, tail waving back and forth slowly as he walked towards the door, Mr. Longbeak and the doctor following him with their suspenseful eyes. Vegeta carried the scouter in one hand and with the other pressed the button to exit.

"ah, Vegeta-sama!" The reptile squeaked hastily "You have to stay out of those tanks for at least two more weeks." His voice was an anguished plead.

------------

"Are you crazy!" Radditz's nostrils flared out as he directed his complaints to the rather large Saiyan that shared the room with him. Their chamber was not big, but it was enough to grant them with enough space to not constantly bump into each other, however at this moment, all the younger Saiyan wanted to do is give the one before him a right beating for what he considered an outrageous behavior.

Nappa carried himself strenuously towards the bed. He was sure he looked every bit as he felt: _like crap_. In a way that was a complete understatement. Even though he had managed to get out of the fight with zero bones broken, he felt as if something else had shattered within him. The odd sense of dread that had haunted him since first hearing the news that they would be on standby for an indefinite amount of time still hadn't left him.

It had never happened for them to be placed in a situation of such uncertainty, and he knew that this feeling was a lot more complicated to deal with than certainty, even if it was a certainty of death. It was logical that no team could fight nonstop and indefinitely, but the system usually involved an intelligent alternation of heavy fighting with reconnaissance or examination missions. It was more than enough to keep the adrenaline and the mind on alert. Additionally, sometimes, just getting somewhere could involve a journey of more than a few days, sometimes even months. Nevertheless… this was different, and it was more than evident that it was a mind game, a game of power and might. It was Frieza himself, acting the way he'd only act towards Vegeta. He certainly wouldn't concern himself with even acknowledging anyone else at the same level.

Nappa knew this day would come, the day when the little Prince would start turning into a man, thus beginning to develop slowly but surely into what they all knew he was capable of. Frieza knew this too, it was only a matter of time before it became evident and he began putting brakes on it.

And Vegeta…

His train of thought became abruptly interrupted by a rather bewildered Radditz.

"Why would you beat him unconscious? It was supposed to be only a sparring match. What are you all of a sudden a Frieza whore??!"

"Shut up before I snip your tongue!" Nappa roared. Radditz froze in place, his eyes dancing a little with shock. "You don't understand. It was _not _a sparring match, who the hell knows that it was, but that it was not. What I did, I did because Vegeta wouldn't stop, and it had to end somewhere. Believe me; it sure wasn't going to be with me dead." And it couldn't end up with the irascible kid dead either. He was the cornerstone, the single most important being for him and Radditz.

"So you'd rather kill him? It sure looked like you almost kicked it out of him with that final blast." Radditz gritted his teeth in exasperation.

"You fool! As if Vegeta could die by my hand. In the middle of it, the look in his eye was blank, and it would have been me dead a million times over before I really managed to instill enough harm to accomplish that."

Radditz sat on his bunk and slumped a bit. The whole fight had indeed been quiet disturbing, a rabid flaring of tempers. By the time Nappa had managed to hit Vegeta smack in the face with his last blow of strength, the Prince had lost almost all energy, falling to the floor unconscious. He now could understand how much it had taken from Nappa to survive the boy's attacks and he was probably not even using them at their full. All he had done was carry it on enough to achieve his goal. And that he did effectively. He had wound up curled up, bloody and broken on the ground.

Radditz lowered his face, hearing Nappa grunt as he nestled his injuries. Maybe the older Saiyan had insight into things he had been a bit too naïve to understand. Being much more experienced could have its advantages in certain respects and he had to admit he had intrinsical knowledge of their Prince that he himself still did not posses. It's not as if he had hung out with them since forever. It had been only a few years since he had been integrated into Frieza's forces…

"So when? Do you know when?" The only answer to Radditz's question was a long-lasting silence.


	4. Step a Little Closer

**Disclaimer: **DBZ is not mine, but come on, you can't blame me for borrowing Vegeta, now can you?

**Warning:** Lemon

Child of Desire

Chapter Four: Step a Little Closer

The mess hall was almost empty except for a few benches that remained occupied by soldiers that were engaged in lazy conversation. Temy and Nara shared one, the older girl carrying a flush from some liquor she had smuggled on her last mission. She had drunk enough of it that her head was a little hazy which is why she decided to rest it on the table. The other members of her team had left a long while ago and the only one to stay behind was her fellow Sachia. Temy was way too dozy to give her a piece of her mind. Whenever she wasn't on the medical bay, all she did was follow her around, like some annoying little pet who wouldn't take a hint.

"…so that is why I said, you prick me with that, I'll make sure I hunt you later on and kill you." She made a fist and waved it at the air. "…and Temy will definitely have your ass on a platter if I don't manage to get to it myself. You know… Longbeak looked rather scared at that notion." Her face turned into a pout. "Well, he pricked me anyway. See, he had others to restrain me while they performed those odious tests. But I'll get to him sometime. I mean, _**we**_ will get to him sometime."

Temy flinched. What a stupid little…She just couldn't manage to say anything. That thing had been a lot more potent than she had imagined. Hell knew what it'd been made of, but a few sips had made her head spin like a space vortex. She moved her head to rest on her chin and look at Nara, no…there were 2 Nara's now talking to her and both were equally disturbing.

"Temy? Are you ok? Your eyes are glazy. I told you, you shouldn't be drinking things that are marked x on the tag. I think it's generally agreed that x on the tag is universal for "be extremely cautious". Whatever possessed you to do that? You should be thankful it didn't wind up killing you. For all you know it could have been poison."

The older one snarled, but her droopy eyes prevented her from looking menacing. In fact, Nara thought she looked a bit funny in that state, limp and groggy.

The 14 year old sighed and decided to keep playing with her eating utensils, trying to create some sort of tower. Unfortunately, despite her efforts the lot tumbled down rather loudly as each fork, knife and stick clanked together and bounced on the chrome surface of the table. Nara lifted her eyebrows and pushed them aside. So much for that.

"Temy…" She rested her chin on her hand while drawing imaginary circles with her finger. A small silence stretched on. "What does it feel like to sleep with him?"

At the sound of that, Temy straightened her back and looked at her in bewilderment. "What?"

"Him…the boy. You know…" She kept moving her finger around lazily "I met him yesterday, I know it is him. He was badly injured and when the regen tank failed to bring him back to full health, I had to treat him. He was close to dying." Nara lifted her eyes which were wide with curiosity.

Strangely enough, a lot of the numbness had suddenly lifted off of Temy's head. She now fixed a stare in the other one's direction, a little surprised at the news, but not too much. Nothing seemed to go unnoticed in the place, and the kid remained too close to her to let anything slip by.

"I uh…" Temy shifted her eyes making Nara issue a small smile.

"He almost hurt me with a sudden burst of energy, but I am sure he really didn't mean it that way. He could have killed me afterwards if he had wanted to, but he didn't. He instead just gave me this look, have you noticed how dark his eyes are? I've never seen eyes so dark. They were so deep. Why did he look so pissed off? Is he always like that? Well, you are pissed off all the time as well…"

Temy shifted her eyes back in Nara's direction, an expression of total puzzlement in her features. "um…"

"I noticed the doctor and Mr. LB where rather scared. He didn't seem so menacing to me really. I've seen heavier, more muscled guys around this place." Nara's nose wrinkled a bit in disgust. "But he is much leaner and smaller, but then you know him much better I suppose." She kept drawing circles on the table. "Is he really a prince?"

Temy's face was contorted into a comical look. She then stood up, wobbling a little while she felt the entire hall swirl around her. Maybe drinking that shit hadn't been the smartest thing she'd done in a while. When she managed to make it stop, she shook her head and opened and closed her eyes several times, attempting to gain some focus.

She turned to walk away, but something stopped her in her tracks. A feeling swelled in her chest, temporarily diffusing the after effects of the powerful beverage. The notion of jealousy was foreign to her species. She came from a race were women shared a single male and did so happily as the way of life and culture. In fact, women longed for the feeling of bonding produced by devoting themselves to the same man. It was their idea of family, of belonging and even of sexual arousal. Group sessions were a given most of the time. What rose in her chest was something else.

Temy looked at the girl with blazing eyes. Her voice, for once acquired a clear, sharp tone to it. "Child, you ask too many questions; don't force me to shut your mouth up for once and for all."

--------------------------------------------

It had been two weeks since Temy's team had arrived at the base. She was supposed to leave for her new mission in a week, a sort of examination that involved them enduring a test that was supposed to prove how well they did on a planet with almost un-breathable air. It made for terrible conditions to them, but Frieza wanted to expand his horizons and broaden his target market. There were several species that thrived under atmospheres that were nearly poisonous to the majority of oxygen breathing creatures. Some of those societies were rather wealthy and in need of moving unto planets that met their unique requirements. What kept Frieza on top was not only his tremendous power, but his also his eye for business.

She fidgeted in her place, while surrounded by several other soldiers at troop review. Frieza hovered about at the front, sitting in his egg shaped chair, flanked by the undyingly loyal Dodoria and Zarbon. She just hated how that pig and that conceited green bastard pranced about with airs of dignity and power. What she hated the most was having to stand at these sort of meetings, where Frieza would take a god awful time to get his point across, as if he almost enjoyed making them suffer before his presence, whether it was making them nervous or making some of them bored. She suffered from the latter.

"Sector C, System 1.3. Planet Nanoget, Examination…" He paused and lifted his cold eyes to the lot. "…pending. The systems are still not up and ready due to some sort of technical…" His eyes shifted to the technical staff, issuing a quiver on them" …problem. Of course I expect that to be resolved in the following days." Temy swore she could almost hear the techs gulp.

So she was still stranded here indefinitely. Good, for all she knew it could mean the last few days of her life. She never really counted on making it alive after being assigned to a mission. These tests tended to be particularly fatal, or so she heard. It was Frieza going overboard with greed. She stood on the tip of her toes and glanced around. It didn't take her long to spot the flame like mane a few spots down her line. Gritting her teeth, she stood upright and stared ahead.

Vegeta remained with eyes closed as he took in the seemingly endless stream of words uttered by Frieza. His arms were crossed and he tapped his fingers, grappling at the few threads of patience left in him. _Troop review…how incredibly humiliating and disgraceful_. He should have been the one standing at the front and not the other way around. He was old enough to understand exactly where the whole picture was wrong. It was only right to want to change it desperately, however, standing between Nappa and Radditz, surrounded by the pitiful scum around them, only made his helplessness clearer to him. In fact that recurring sensation of suffocation returned to him with a vengeance.

"That is the current situation as far as assignments go." Frieza concluded in a relaxed tone. There was a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Lord Frieza…" Zarbon interjected. "Team S3, I believe you forgot to mention the status on them?" His face was remarkably composed after having spoken without Frrieza's approval. However, the Ice-jin did not seem bothered by his interruption at all.

Nappa and Radditz tensed up, but Vegeta remained the same, jaw clenched, fingers tapping, eyes closed.

"Zarbon…I suppose you are right." He deliberately took his time before adding the next words to his speech. "pending." The green warrior and Dodoria both grinned, looking rather pleased at the sound of their master's voice.

Nappa uttered a Saiyan swear under his breath.

"Now unto other matters…" After much pontification on Frieza's part, Vegeta felt he just couldn't take it anymore. He gnashed his teeth and gripped his arm, sinking his fingers deep enough to create a bruise. His eyes flung open and he looked about him, he knew she wouldn't be hard to find. She was the one thing that came to his mind, like a prominent need that demanded to be satiated. It was still a little inexplicable to him, how she turned the key in him, where her power laid, how she managed to drain him so effortlessly, but he didn't want to concern himself with pointless questions. All that mattered was him and her and now.

Temy darted her eyes in his direction as if she was a moth drawn to a flame that smoldered not too far away. She was rather irritated herself, the air in the room way too thick and heavy for her liking. She met his gaze with wistful eyes and a flicker of understanding ignited within them. Vegeta then shifted his eyes and looked straight ahead.

She felt her impatience grow into almost unbearable heights. Thankfully, only moments later she noticed Vegeta turn around and simply walk away from the meeting, leaving a stunned bunch of soldiers behind.

"Vegeta…" Radditz said, bewildered and worried about the consequences of his action.

"Leave him be. It will be ok." Nappa motioned for the long haired youth to look at the front instead. "Frieza knows he's got the upper hand."

It seemed like an eternity before the whole deal was over but it finally came to an end. Temy was already moving before being formally dismissed.

--------------------------------------------

She opened the door to the storage room. It hadn't been difficult to find him with the loud pounding on the wall. She didn't flinch at all, not even when she saw the sheer strength with which he was venting his fury, the wall already beginning to dent tremendously under the pressure of his fists.

Temy shut the gate and stood still, hearing him groan and pant in exasperation. He had begun to sweat and he suddenly fell on his knees. The amount of force he had exerted had left him seemingly exhausted. The female frowned and scrutinized him with unyielding eyes. After a few moments of him kneeling on the floor and striving to regain his breath she frowned and decided to shorten the distance between them. Walking steady steps towards him, she didn't once hesitate. She knew he was grappling with the blazing temper that had earned him a distinct reputation but there was a sense of security within her. If anything, she knew she was safer here than anywhere else.

Vegeta lifted his gaze and met her eyes, following her movement as she knelt in front of him. He knew she would find him. Lately it had been about the only certainty he had had, and seeing her there, right before him made at least some of the mayhem in his mind subside. Some of it, although by no means was it enough. He grimaced and placed a hand on the floor, striving to contain the grueling flames that raged inside his chest. His mind kept playing tricks with him, threatening to submerge his sanity. Vegeta made a fist and pounded on the floor, making Temy jump a little in place. He desperately wanted to avoid losing the key to his own head.

She looked into his eyes and the turmoil that hid behind them was rather clear. A whirlwind of black rage had twisted his features into an almost maniacal expression.

Temy snarled at him and bared her pointy fangs. "The things you make me do…Saiyan" She almost spat the last word. Her face was drenched in her own anger, emphasized by the glittering daggers that were her squinting eyes.

Vegeta fixed his frown on her with the same intensity, and after a while his mouth curled up, letting an almost manic laughter blare through. When it got reduced to a diminishing chuckle he actually whispered to her in a voice drenched with innuendo. "I want some more".

"I don't"

"Don't toy with me, Temy..." His voice was a low rumble, muttered under the eyes of a predator. It really didn't scare her as much as it made her tingle. She thought her name sounded delicious the very few times he had spoken it.

She crawled slowly to where he was and licked his chin. Had he known a little about where she came from, he would have recognized the action as a precursor to Sachia mating, but he didn't really know that sort of details and for some reason she was glad for that. His breath seemed to cut off and she could have sworn she saw a hint of blush break out on his cheeks. There were moments when he could be rather shy.

Her lips hovered over his, barely touching them while she fretfully began to move her palms over his armor. It was a distinct plea to be able to feel his smooth and hard skin under her touch. He lifted his arms and she took the opportunity to lift the protective plate over his head, his willingness only fueling her need even more.

Vegeta blushed when he discovered his chest was now exposed to her eyes scrutiny. He then looked up to the light switch in the room and with a sudden burst of energy from his finger he pierced it through, making the switch crackle. The room went dark instantly and it acted as a magic wand to unleash their suffocated wanton. Nothing but sounds of rapid breathing and little moans filled the space, already heating up the atmosphere around them.

Vegeta moved gracefully to lie on his back. He remained only with the pants and the boots, his feet firmly braced against the wall and his legs slightly bent.

This was how the dirty little secret started, she remembered, instantly recognizing his movement. She could tell what he was thinking of and how he wanted it. She hadn't quite understood it back then, all she knew is it felt incredibly good, mind-numbingly good, and it came along with him. She hadn't really experienced it before. Maybe he hadn't either. After all, his hands had been quite clumsier in the beginning, compounded by her own shaky movements. But no one had known or spoken of it. Now she knew it had leaked out, somehow and it hovered above her, like an unwanted threat. She bit her lower lip with her fangs drawing a slight trickle of blood.

The darkness was so enveloping they couldn't really see each other. All that filled the air between them was the soft sound of their breathing, which got a little shallow as the moments went by. Still kneeling beside him, she moved to kiss his neck, with a soft moist sucking that instantly made him quiver. He placed a hand beneath her head, his fingers interlacing with her hair gently. Temy uttered a tiny whimper, but managed to control herself as she trailed the kisses up his chin and over his lips, which seemed rather ready to receive hers. After lending themselves to the soft suction that followed, they decided to segue into a playful twirling of tongues. She was rather pleased when she heard him issue a pleading grunt in his throat, his fervor betraying him by making him twist his hips a little. Yes, the Prince was demanding that same thing that had initially drawn them together.

_A/N: For uncensored version visit Mediaminer (under my pen name Caprice)_

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Moments later, Vegeta removed himself from above her and began looking for his armor fretfully. She decided to remain lying down, still riding the last few contractions that came and went across her body.

_So this time it's his turn to leave_, she thought at the sound of his clothes rustling while he put them on. It was always like that, someone usually left right away, almost running from the scene of the crime, and today the crime was over and done with. A strange unsettling feeling sank at the bottom of her chest. To avoid dwelling on it, she decided to sit up and begin putting her own armor on, purposefully shutting him out of her mind completely.

When both were fully dressed, she sat against the wall, patiently waiting for him to exit. Strangely enough she didn't hear him move at all. Instead he remained standing, not moving an inch. _Why wasn't he leaving?_ She almost began to get a little impatient. All of a sudden, she felt a terrible urge to be alone, a sort of bitterness rising within her. Yes, suddenly she almost felt like hitting him and maybe beginning to hate him some more.

To her surprise she heard him move to sit against the same wall as her only a few steps away.

"Saiyan…what the hell are you still doing here". She spat.

"And why the fuck don't _you_ leave?" He retorted in an acid tone. Temy remained silent and so did the room for the following minutes.

Somewhat later, the silence was finally broken. "I suppose Frieza troop reviews have their way of making it better." She said, now rather sure neither of them would leave.

"Hn" Vegeta grunted, but she thought she perceived a hint of a chuckle behind it. The silence stretched on, but it wasn't uncomfortable for either one. Sitting with him against the wall in the middle of the pitch black room, was one of the most interesting experiences she had ever had, even if there were no words between them. She could feel the ease in his mind reciprocate her own, making something bewildering linger inside her. Maybe there was no room for bitterness right now. Maybe right now she wanted to let this other feeling crawl inside.

A few moments dragged on before Vegeta issued a curious remark. "Why is she here?"

"What do you mean?"

"She just sat outside the door. I can see her shadow through the gap of the gate". He stated.

Temy squinted a little and noticed it too. "The damn child..."

He humphed. "I think I've seen her follow you around the base."

Temy closed her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. "Saiyan, she's not there because she is following me. She's here because she's been following you."


	5. Breaking Point

**Disclaimer: **Vegeta isn't mine. I am working on believing that fact.

Child of Desire

Chapter Five: Breaking Point

Soft rain drizzled over Planet Frieza, accompanied by sporadic flashes of lightning that lit up the sky. It did nothing to move Nara from her position, stiff as a statue, sat next to a few bushes outside the base. Ahead, two warriors engaged in a fight, hand to hand and head to head. Their silhouettes danced about with ferocity, going at each other full on, clearly aiming to cause as much damage as possible.

It had been two weeks after Vegeta had come back from his last mission and the past few days he had taken to spending a chunk of his time picking up fights with several soldiers for the most insignificant of reasons. Many of them didn't particularly need much of a push to accept the challenge, being that the Saiyan had a notorious fame for being as popular a topic as unpopular a character. He had been responsible for at least four members of the middle ranks found dead in the premises with signs of having been unmercifully beaten to their demise. One of the bodies recovered had been blasted through the middle section with what had to have been a tremendously powerful beam of energy. Another victim had been barely recognizable when it had been encountered, limbs and other parts scattered over a not too wide terrain.

Strangely enough, it was difficult to pinpoint who the administrator of the killings had been; being that there weren't signs of other soldiers having engaged in heavy combat. No one had been reported to the medical bay and a dark echo of murmurs began to expand over the always effervescent social fabric of the place. Word of mouth began to spread in the lower circles, claiming it was the Saiyan Prince but nobody had vital proof of the matter. A few people stated having seen him engaged in heated discussions with the unlucky victims but then again Vegeta engaged in verbal spars quite often.

The fight that unraveled in the middle of the windy night seemed to carry on for what felt like hours. Nara could have sworn to have heard the cracking of bones and gushing of blood, even through the obtrusive weather, the sounds lingering within her brain as clearly as if it ensued only a few inches away from her. Regardless of how it still made her quiver, she was beginning to get used to the odd situation, to the ruthless butchering that played out before her very eyes. It so happened as she hid somewhere nearby, feeling like a direct accomplice to the grim outcome but refusing to dwell on whatever rational thinking one might lend the brain to.

The shorter figure stumbled some, but his precarious state was still miles better than the one of his opponent, now the clear loser of the morbid match. The latter laid pinned under the other one's boot, his body beginning to convulse as blood spewed from his mouth. It was finally over, and a sense of utter relief fell over the single witness to the event. It was mixed with pleasure, the type one feels when enveloped by feelings of selfishness and despotism, like a rapist stealing the life from its victim without concern for who it had been.

When the job was finished, and the rain still fell from the skies with a lulling gentleness, he approached her. He barely made it to where she was before collapsing to the ground and she hurriedly dragged herself to meet him, her muddy clothing sticking to her body. She decided to ignore the shivers of cold that pricked at her back like painful needles and concentrated on exerting her energy over him, a warm heat wave that provided a little break to her clammy hands. When enough was suffused into his badly bruised body and all bones were in place she ended her ministrations. There was no evidence of anything ever had happened and the knowledge of that filled her with a swelling sense of satisfaction.

Vegeta groaned and fluttered his eyes before setting them on her. She hovered over him, the hair a tangled mess of mud and water, the skin pale and dank, but behind the disarray, he could still notice the same small smile he was used to waking up to.

She frowned. "Vegeta?"

In a second, he sat up and gently pushed her aside with the back of his arm. He then looked at his gloved hands, flexing his fingers repeatedly as if still in awe of the powers that kept bringing him back to life. _And making me stronger every time, _he thought in delight. He knew that nearly dying and managing to survive had a tremendous effect on his fighting levels which definitely surged a few thousand marks after he recovered. However, he hadn't been lucky enough to find something like this before. Vegeta narrowed his eyes and smiled while looking at his legs, which now felt faster and stronger. This was something else, and it was working marvels on him.

Nara wiped the rain water away from her lips with the back of her hand. "I thought you might actually die this time." Her big eyes were squarely planted on his face, an expression of concern dancing on them.

Vegeta rose to his feet and assumed a dignified pose, his face lifted up to the winds and the water grazing his proud features. "Don't be stupid. I'm not only Saiyan but the best warrior my race ever produced." He spat. "You should realize that I will become more than anyone ever thought possible even for my people." His voice dropped to a whisper, "Super Saiya-jin, the Legendary, destroyer and conqueror of worlds…"

Nara thought there was almost a boyish trait to his ramblings. "…and the killer of that blasted mother fucker so that the army, the empire, the Colds, the planets, the universe, bow down to me."

She smiled at him vacantly, behind dazed eyes. She was still crouched in the muddy ground, a tiny frail figurine of a child that rocked her body slightly back and forth, enthralled in his power ridden speech.

"_Everyone_…will bow down to a Saiya-jin" He looked at her, his head cocked to the side. "even you". With that he planted his boot on her and pushed her gently so that she fell on her back, splashing water around her.

"Feh" She spat, wiping mud off her eyes. "You are an evil boy. Has anyone told you how evil you are?" She was slightly displeased that her whiny statement had only made him chuckle as if she was actually praising him. _Brat._

His eyes lingered on her for a few seconds, the insignificant creature that oddly enough was proving to be quite an interesting tool. A disconcerting thought fleeted across his mind before he discarded it with a frown. He then deliberately chose to wrap up the evening and turn away from her, clearly heading back to the base. The kid was rather useful but she proved to be insufferable to be around. He genuinely didn't know how to react to the things she said, the way she carried herself, like an overdeveloped two year old that clearly basked in his attention. He hadn't been around someone like that ever, the awkward way she acted, the way she didn't fit, her weakness, it was sometimes almost unbearable to watch, with a nonexistent power level and an imperfection beyond comprehensible, it still surprised him that she was able to bring him back to the living with such ease.

When hearing her moan, he turned around to look at her. She was trying to get out from the muddy puddle, but her movements were as clumsy as could be. She splashed around like vermin that had fallen into a trap. _Inept kid. _He walked back over to where she was and grabbed the back of her shirt to lift her out; throwing her a few meters away into a spot that was firm and solid.

He remained standing, looking at her with a slight curiosity in his eyes, the same way he sometimes looked at odd creatures from far away and extravagant places. She got up and tried shaking the excess moisture from her clothes. Was it possible that she had gotten even weaker after these past days? Vegeta thought her face looked haggard and her hair had lost a lot of its gloss.

He then closed his eyes, acquired a stern expression and proceeded to head back to the base, walking with poise and determination.

"Vegeta"

He wasn't surprised to hear her whisper after him. He knew it couldn't have been the wind playing with his senses. After a few steps he halted and waited for her to trail after him. He only resumed his step when he was sure she was a mere couple steps away.

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3 more days went by before Temy and her team were summoned before Frieza's lieutenants. When her scouter blinked and an order to appear at one of the conference halls followed, she gathered the time had finally come. She was delighted. It was good to get a little action and enjoy a good couple of months of a challenge. Regardless of every mission or examination potentially being her last one, she was accustomed to her lifestyle and depended on it to get better at what she did.

This is what meandered through her mind as she lay asleep on her bunk. Today it had been impossible to lock herself up with him, the Saiyan, for she'd had to spend most of the day - until a few minutes ago - in a meeting with Helu and the rest of her comrades. They had discussed every single detail about their newly assigned examination, standard protocol for every team that had to work heavy strategizing. After much deconstructing of every possible scenario and kink that could arise during the task, she felt her brain was fried and her body was drained.

That didn't mean she hadn't just started feeling ready for something only Vegeta could provide. She pulled her cover tighter around her bare body. It suddenly felt like a harmless distraction to lend herself to some of her darkest thoughts, the kind that bubbled in the deepest corners of her mind. They smoldered with sensations from tight skin to rippling muscles. Her blood seemed to agitate under the remembrance of his hot breath over her neck, tongues licking every body part possible, and fur, soft and firm curling around her legs.

She knew it was only her and Nara in the room now. The child now lay asleep on the floor next to her bunk, and the rhythmic sound of her breathing was more than clear evidence that she was asleep. With that thought in her mind, Temy slipped a hand down her body and parted her thighs, positioning her fingers right were it was most needed. She gritted her teeth and pressed the side of her face against the surface she laid on, letting a little sigh escape from her lips. As she stroked and penetrated with expert movements, somewhat trying to mimic what _he_ would do, she made a mental note: make sure she got a long, nice, hard fuck from Vegeta before taking off. It had only been two days and she felt like exploding. She didn't want to think what a couple of months would do to her. In fact she was counting on that one last session to see her through the time until she managed to hook up with him again.

She tensed her arm and writhed beneath the covers, a tiny moan seeping through unexpectedly. Her sex seemed to open up like a budding flower in need of being pollinated. It screamed at the grueling need to have him filling up her every space. She could really feel it coming now…just a little more of his voice echoing through her memories. Her whispery moans were tiny and nearly inaudible, pressed against the solid mattress below her.

"Temy?!"

She bounced on the bed and sat up immediately. "Mother fff..….what the hell do you want?!"

In the dim light, she turned to see Nara who was now obviously wide awake and insisting on bugging her even when she thought she was safe. Temy looked closely and gathered she looked terrified, her eyes glittering with tears and almost shaking.

"I can't sleep, I keep waking up. Can I lie down next to you?" She spoke softly, in a pleading tone.

Temy could barely believe her ears.

"Fuck no. I honestly don't give a shit if you sleep or not kid. Now shut it and let me go back to resting." With that, she turned around and lay back down, sporting a scowl to herself.

A few minutes dragged on, but Temy's mood had been totally disrupted. She now lay wide awake, hearing Nara's occasional sobs penetrate her mind like incisive little needles. Rage boiled inside her, making her seriously consider throwing the younger girl out of the room, but she kept lying on her side, as stiff as a board.

Nara's continued uneasy pattern of sleep kept making the kid jolt in place. Her teeth started clattering together and the sobbing intensified.

"If you crawl over here will you cut that out?" Temy's voice was grave.

A second later, Nara moved silently unto the bunk next to the older female and curled up facing her back. Neither realized the moment both fell asleep.

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"…and finally the last addition to the new Ginyu Force squadron, Ghurd…"

The crowd murmured in awe as the small tubby soldier moved his way to the front. Commander Ginyu beamed at him and gave him his new armor, complete with the very famous insignia of the special group he was head of. They all stood in the middle of a grand hall, populated with soldiers of every rank, all of which in a way idolized the idea of becoming a member of the reputed force. It signaled tremendous skill and power, arousing the respect from the entire army and special considerations from Master Frieza himself.

Vegeta leaned against a column erected right next to a wide metallic gate that was now open. Outside, the day was clear and the terrain, composed of dirt and shrubs, extended as far as the eye could see, blending into the horizon. He looked at it, allowing himself to get distracted with the idea of freedom, large and full, away from the army and Frieza's orders. It seemed easy to grasp, a few feet away from him, as expanse as the universe itself and as promising as ever.

He immediately dismissed the idea. It wasn't the first time he had allowed the thought to sneak into his brain and every time it'd happened he managed to successfully throw it away. He was smart enough to understand all the implications it carried with it and he frankly believed dwelling on the notion was both pitiful and a complete waste of time.

"…deeply honored Commander Ginyu" Ghurd's slippery voice expanded across the hall.

"He will be a perfect addition to our group pose!" Rikum issued a wide grin, his bulky body towering over the others.

Vegeta huffed and emitted a long list of muttered insults behind his breath. He then drifted his pupils to the corner of his eyes, still unable to see the figure that sat leaning against the other side of the pole, but sensing her the same.

"Didn't know you had such a colorful vocabulary". Temy rasped while she munched on a ration bar.

"Hn, that's nothing." He stated coolly. After a few minutes, the female spoke again.

"It is a planet grade 10. Right hellhole, nearly no air, could probably be a bore…a couple of months I'd say…" Vegeta didn't respond. His gaze remained focused ahead of him, his figure stiff as a statue. A moment later he crossed his arms and smirked.

"Frieza should assign me any minute. When he does, it could be about a couple of weeks. I will probably snatch up about three worlds while you're gone." His voice was harsh but there was an underlying playful tone to it as well.

"You'll have to tell it to me and prove it as well". Came her taunting response. When a silence carried on, she thought he had ended the brief exchange, but she suddenly cocked her head to the side as the sound of his words filled the space.

"I will". The unspoken promise to meet again lingered in the air.

A good 30 feet away, two pairs of eyes darted in their direction expectantly. Radditz leaned a little over Nappa's shoulder, keen to see what his fellow Saiyan eyed with such intensity. His suspicions were confirmed when he noticed Vegeta against the pillar, where the female sat, facing the other way. It wasn't hard piecing it all together. They knew he had been responsible for the soldiers who got killed, and his miraculous recoveries could only have a single explanation.

Radditz's face darkened and looked up at Nappa, who now stared at the front of the hall, where the Ginyu Special Forces and a few other lieutenants exchanged what seemed to be pompous words for an already overbearing ceremony. The older Saiya-jin's face was undecipherable, but it sung with a thorough knowledge that Radditz shared. Words were really unnecessary and Radditz had come to know him well enough that sometimes speaking seemed past the point. That their Lord and Prince had found some sort of hole through which to squirm and pull free even beneath Frieza's oppressive mandate was admirable. Only Vegeta seemed to carry the personality to terrify people and also enthrall them. It was also rather positive that he had been able to get stronger while stranded in the base, for they all knew a Saiya-jins derive more power from within when being snatched from the cold claws of death. Radditz looked at Nappa's hardened features once more before swiftly turning away and scanning the crowd. But Frieza could be nowhere and everywhere at the same time, a ruthless devil pulled from the innards of hell.

--------------------------------------------

Vegeta's footsteps echoed across the empty hallway. He moved through the dingy tunnel at a steady pace, lost in his ruminations. Lately they seemed a little less convulsive and somewhat more orderly, like huge blocks of stone that were shifting to fit each other, molding themselves to their container. The nightmares although ever present, began to subside in their cruel aim to grab him and pull him under physically. They seemed to accept their place as nothing more than harmless echoes of memories, desires and random thoughts. He was able to suffer them as usual, with no grave consequences, the same way it'd been since he could remember.

Thankfully, physically he had never felt before. His body felt both lighter and tougher, a unique combination that filled him with confidence. He had taken it easy the last few days though, avoiding the frenzied rhythm that had befallen him at first when realizing the possibilities ahead. He did not want to foster more attention to the deaths around the base, and preferred to let it sit. People might actually suspect him and that is one thing he wanted to avoid at all cost.

He could've grabbed Nappa or Radditz in the meantime and force them to inflict as much pain and damage on him as was possible, both of them at the same time if needed. After all they were his subjects and were obliged to do as he commanded, but for some reason, he pushed the thought aside. Every time it surfaced, along with it came memories of the girl, the dimness in the pit of her dusky eyes, the shadows that surrounded them and had lately converted them into a ghost of what they used to be. He also remembered the crackling of her joints, the flaking skin that looked as if it could fall apart were he to touch it and her thinning lips, which where once fuller and vibrant with color. It was impossible not to notice it, and inevitable for him to be slightly angered at the knowledge of what that meant. Her weakness was intolerable, but he knew his feeling wasn't straightforward frustration. It was tinged with something else, which he couldn't quite comprehend but that made him look away every time he looked at his reflection. The feeling had a vague resemblance to what he had felt deep within his chest after first finding out how his world had truly been destroyed at the hand of the snake. The nagging little feeling that had bugged him and made him wonder if it had been his fault. He had adeptly pushed the irritating thought down and suffocated it, preferring the icy grasp of rage, fury and pain instead.

Vegeta pressed his lips into a thin line. No, his power level could wait. He could wait…

The sound of Dodoria clearing his throat loudly reverberated across the room, as he stood directly in Vegeta's path. The Saiyan felt annoyed at the harsh interruption and frankly disgusted at his presence, but none of that surfaced through to his face. Instead, he remained the same, not a single muscle twitching as he moved ahead purposefully, at the same pace and with the same regality. Dodoria placed his meaty hands on his hips as Vegeta approached, but the latter simply went around him, ignoring him completely.

The blood inside the immense round figure of Dodoria began to boil irrepressibly, an effect that for some reason only this particular individual could incite in him, the scum, the little beast that carried himself with such arrogance and audacity before him. What, did he think he was better than him? Just because he was supposed to be a Prince? Because he was Saiyan? Well Dodoria accepted that there was nothing royal about himself, in fact he came from a mudball that produced living creatures with as much grace as a bunch of oxen from Riego, but damned the Gods if he hadn't worked his ass to get to where he was now. In fact, he was rather proud of his achievements, brought forth by the incredible power level he had been born with. He was now Frieza's right (or left hand), Zarbon claimed the other, but he really thought it was far better than anything the pesky monkey could ever achieve. Everyone shuddered before him, everyone but this scoundrel. He really did think he was above everyone else, especially above him and that notion was intolerable to someone of his stature. _The nerve._

The tumultuous thoughts sputtered inside Dododria's head, making his blood pressure rise by the second. If it wasn't because there was a strict thin veil that Frieza had issued above his favorite possession, he would have taught him a valuable lesson already. What deterred him was he didn't in anyway want to spoil the brat and then have to suffer through his master's wrath. His power level was so much above the Saiyan, he knew he could probably kill him rather easily and being in the middle of a fight would make it difficult for him to contain his fury, so much contempt he felt for him. He seriously thought not even a regen tank would be fast enough to reverse the damage.

A snide smile spread across Dodoria's bumpy face, his broad lips suddenly curling into pure mischief. Ah but things were now slightly different now, weren't they, not only that but he had leverage.

"Vegeta!" Dodoria turned around and walked towards the Prince, who halted his step unwillingly. …Time to be as sarcastically polite as usual, he thought.

"I believe it is standard protocol for soldiers to bow down to their superiors, now isn't it? Especially little _werecreatures_ from backwards planets like yours." His voice dripped with irony but Vegeta was more than used to the treatment. With much aplomb, he straightened his spine, crossed his arms and met the taller fighter's gaze defiantly.

"Superior? Don't worry Dodoria, when I stumble upon a _superior_ I will make sure to follow protocol." Vegeta stated in a slow mordant voice.

Dodoria blinked in surprise, but began to acquire a more confident stance. His features began contorting into pure nastiness as he crept closer to the other warrior, leaning over him but not making the other one budge.

"You know, _prince_ Vegeta, I wonder if you'd be as cocksure all the time if your pretty face winded up, well, let's say, not so pretty." Dodoria remarked while grinning sideways.

Vegeta puffed and turned his head sideways. "Dodoria, grace my day with your sharp observations some other day, when I am in the mood to withstand your stale breath." With that he started walking again, but a huge arm clasped his neck and choked him, not allowing him to move one step further.

"Oh, I say we don't wait." Dodoria chuckled, beginning to drag Vegeta outside unto a wide landing deck.


	6. Asirandha

**Disclaimer: **DBZ isn't my property. I do own several Vegeta dolls though and I will probably keep collecting.

Child of Desire

Chapter Six: Asirandha

The cold surface of the platform shook with force as Vegeta's already battered body hit it for the fourth time in a row. He exhaled deeply and clenched his eyes shut struggling to regain control of his motor functions as quickly as possible. Deep down he knew his efforts would be futile, as already proven during this now extended hand to hand battle. He had better reflexes than even the fastest feline in the universe and a resistance matched by very few. Unfortunately Dodoria happened to a specimen that flew high above his current level, not allowing him time to think or regroup before he was held back down under his forceful blasts.

He suddenly felt his heavy hand grab him by the back of the collar and hold him up, rendering him a small ragged doll now bloody down the front of his previously immaculate armor. As Dodoria enjoyed his moment of glory holding him high above the ground, Vegeta took the opportunity to swiftly place his feet against his wide belly and kick as strongly as he could, making the beefy warrior's lungs and stomach empty the air they held. The pink monster dropped him and backed off, bracing his midsection. His face grew dark with unfathomed anger, every single muscle in it contorting into a pinnacle of hatred.

Vegeta fell on his knee, placing a palm against the floor, in a stance that made him look both small and menacing. Blood trails ran down his temple and from the corners of his mouth, his pupils dancing with the adrenaline of rage and violence.

"You know you are no match for me, little ape" Dodoria snarled. "…so why don't you just save your petty attempts at beating me. You're walking a fine thread" His voice grew gravely into a clear threat.

Vegeta's chest rumbled before he burst out in a fit of laughter, as loud and drenched in derision as possible. He then lowered his gaze and peered up at Dodoria, a wide malignant grin gracing his features.

"Low class scum will never carry the privilege of extinguishing my breath." Vegeta's grin remained frozen in place, bearing his white fangs in a spiteful gesture.

Dodoria growled before launching at him with such speed that Vegeta barely got a chance to turn his face to the side. In a matter of a second, he was pinned under the pink beast, who now straddled his much smaller figure.

"Stop laughing, you insufferable little bastard!" Dodoria began punching Vegeta's face from side to side in a sudden spur of blinded fury. "Stop laughing, stop laughing!" His every hit shook Vegeta's face violently, eventually breaking his nose and allowing a stream of scarlet to gush out.

A moment later the Prince managed to open his eyes to narrow slits and hold Dodoria's wrist in place, impeding his fist from making contact with his bruised face. He held Dodoria's gaze enough to flash another bloody wide grin at him, his alabaster teeth now tainted with red.

"Scum" Vegeta's voice carried as much scorn as he could project, the word coming out in a gurgle and sputter of blood.

Dodoria's venomous mask grimaced into a manic expression, eyes widened and unstable. He then grabbed Vegeta's perky mane and held him by it to finally bring his skull down into the platform with enough force to make an indentation. He proceeded to lay a series of punches to his jaw, all the while screeching and panting in a frenzied display of detestation.

"Dodoria!" Nappa's scream succeeded in un-clouding the pink blob's head and bringing him back to the present. "Stop right this second!" The Saiyan acquired a warning stance, making his hands into fists and clenching his jaw. His forehead perspired and his breath was uneven, a sudden feeling of panic chilling out his blood.

"Nappa…" Vegeta's voice seeped out in a whisper. "Don't you dare….interfere" He lay under Dodoria, an eye completely swollen shut while the other one peeked out in agitation. "…or you'll have to pay later".

Nappa growled and gritted his teeth audibly. "Vegeta…"

"You heard your worthless chief Nappa" Came Dodoria's snaky voice. "Now let the boy take a beating like a man" With that Dodoria chuckled deep within his throat and went back to punching Vegeta straight in the face, where he mostly enjoyed it.

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"Radditz"

The Saiyan's head cocked to the side as he heard Nappa's incoming transmission through the private channel that interconnected their scouter transmitters. He immediately halted in the middle of the hall and pushed the button to allow for communication.

"Nappa?"

"Fetch the girl" Nappa's tone was sharp and urgent.

"The girl? Which girl?" what are you talking about?" He was thoroughly confused at the outlandish command.

"You idiot! Stop wasting time and fetch her, the healer!"

"Nappa, what the hell…"

"Go fetch the damned girl, she should be at the medical unit and meet me at the southeastern landing platform right now!"

Radditz winced as Nappa's high pitched order bounced in his ear, but he immediately spun on his heel and headed down to the aisle, unable to stop thinking the worse.

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The crates were heavy…so very heavy, or so they felt to Nara as she carried a few towards a pile at the corner of the medical bay. Today the medics and scientists were done with the routinely tests they performed on her, which involved a huge deal of invasive machinery, needles and flashing lights into her eyes. In fact, it seemed like little blotches still danced around in her pupils from the extensive exposure she had undergone a few minutes earlier. She was seldom given time to recover. Her duty was to assist within the unit thus earning her meals and the refuge she was given, both of which she was supposed to be thankful for. _But_ _these crates_…she panted as she stumbled all the way to the other end of the room. They kept getting heavier. Next time she just wouldn't be able to carry them, she thought, a little trail of panic running down her spine. Was it them or was it her. Was it her bones slowly cracking under the pressure?

The gate to the door opened wide and both Nara and the doctor that was working the current shift had to glance upwards in order to meet the tall, slender Saiyan's eyes.

"You" He extended his big hand towards her, making her back off hesitantly. "You, come with me, now!"

"What, you can't just take the kid away." The doctor uttered dumbfounded by the warrior barging in unannounced. She dropped the crate and drew her brows together in fear.

Radditz moved forward in a hurry, pushing the doctor aside with the back of his arm. "I don't have time for this." He grabbed Nara by her fragile arm and dragged her behind him as fast as he could, out of the bay and into the hallway. She struggled to keep his step as he nearly ran with her in tow. She desperately tried to pull her arm away, but she knew it was a futile attempt.

"Noooo!!" she screeched at the top of her lungs. "Let me go!!!" Images of death swarm into her mind, making her cry out in agony. "Nooo!!"

"Shut up!" growled Radditz. "I won't hurt you!"

"Then why…" Nara whimpered beneath a teary eyed face.

"Vegeta!" Was all Radditz could say back at her, but thankfully that quieted her instantaneously. She ceased her struggle to break free.

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Nappa didn't really want to use the girl, but it was very likely it would probably come to that. He hadn't failed once in protecting his Prince's life for the past seventeen years, and he sure as hell was not going to throw all his efforts away now, right when the boy had succeeded in becoming an adult. Nappa never intended in overprotecting him or shielding him from grueling beatings at the hands of others, for this was the life they needed to live, but he had always been careful to see that shall Vegeta need someone to aid him in dodging death, he be there, no matter what.

"Dodoria, don't be foolish!" He yelled, now frantically concerned over his ward's precarious state. Dodoria's extensive figure now towered over Vegeta's, who lay unconscious at his feet, his face almost unrecognizable under the heavy flow of blood. But he wasn't dead. Not yet, or so Nappa felt.

Dodoria kicked the helpless Prince once more in the ribs before stopping cold, a sudden sense of realization dawning on him. His eyes widened and shook, his mouth agape while he backed away from his beaten body. His thoughts went from murky and frenzied to still and worried. Where his mind had been swollen with images of Vegeta, now appeared images of Frieza, angered, uncompassionate and ready to extinguish his life in punishment for the insolence of wrecking one of his most prizes possessions.

He decided to approach Vegeta's body to check for a pulse, and struggled to find it, until he finally picked it up as faint as the brush of a feather. He then straightened and walked towards Nappa.

"Bring her out; I know you have been using her so just bring her out at once!" Dodoria demanded hurriedly. He hoped he hadn't crossed the fine boundary that would cost him not only Vegeta's life but his own too. Regen tanks succeeded in repairing badly beaten soldiers by fusing back their bones and regenerating their cells, but even they had their limit. There was such a thing as a point of no return, and Vegeta was way past it. His heart would stop beating any second. "Bring her out!"

Nappa clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, but he motioned with his hand. Radditz appeared out of the shadows with the girl in hand, quickly shoving her forward. She looked rather pallid, thought Nappa, an unsettling dread sinking at the pit of his stomach. He pushed it aside and decided to act quickly, grabbing her by the shoulder and moving her towards Vegeta. The essence of his power was now so indistinguishable Nappa couldn't even tell if he was alive or dead anymore.

The wind chilled Nara's bones to the very center, but what bit at her was Vegeta's condition. Her expression grew sorrowful and anguished at the same time, a knot tightening inside her chest and a million thoughts flowing through her hyperactive brain. Her kind was attuned to the subtle sense of life and death and she could almost feel the sweet fragrance of Vegeta's essence vanishing through his pores. It slowly oozed off of him and got mixed with its surroundings, in a steady flow that threatened to extinguish his flame.

She dropped to her knees and placed her fists against the steely platform, bending over and clenching her eyes shut with as much strength as she could exert. She should have felt powerful and confident, as she usually did under situations like these, but such feelings had steadily decreased with every occasion she had pulled him from under the breath of death. She was young enough that she still didn't possess full knowledge of the form and limitations of her healing abilities. It had been said back in her planet that such powers varied in degree and intensity from individual to individual. In any case, it was now evident to her that at this point she was on the verge of depletion.

Nappa grew impatient as he saw the tiny girl hunched over his prince, completely unmoving. "Kid, heal him at once!!" He roared at the top of his lungs, only stopping himself from hitting her because he knew he needed her, desperately.

"I can't…" Nara whispered, almost choking in the middle of her words. She gnashed her teeth and made no effort to avoid the surge of tears that now pooled in her eyes.

Dodoria clenched his fists tight and began shaking. The possibility of Vegeta lost to the next dimension now clear as the light of day to him. "What do you mean you can't you worthless little piece of Sachia trash!! If you don't do so now I will kill you with my own hands!!"

Nappa grabbed Nara from her mangled hair and pulled her head back. "If I don't kill you first that is!"

Nara opened her mouth in pain and wailed before the gigantic Saiyan threw her head forward with force. "I can't! What you're asking me to do, it isn't healing…it's almost resuscitation. He is dying right this minute. I can't…" she stopped in the middle of her words. "I just…I can't. I don't have enough left in me. I gave him almost my all." With that she lifted her shaky hands and stared at them, pale and frail as they were. They reminded her of the old woman sages of her village back home. Her skin was almost completely lackluster and she then realized just how much she had already sacrificed. It would take a few more days before her life force was back to normal.

Nappa took a step back, his mouth partially opened. There was no reason for her to lie. His heart sank at once, a million implications gushing into his head.

Dodoria felt an instant surge of panic. "Take him to the medical unit at once! A regen tank, it's the only choice!" He had wanted to corner the Saiyans into having to use Nara, but he miscalculated his brute force horribly. Yes, he had wanted to take advantage of the situation and vent his frustration into the little monkey before ratting him out full force on his secretive use of the girl, which was rightful property of Frieza. That would also blame him directly as the killer of the soldiers that had disappeared, but this was not what he had foreseen. Now it was his ass on the line. He hadn't counted on the girl having been rendered useless.

"You can't move him! The life that faintly remains dissipated through his body would immediately extinguish!" Nara blurted out in response.

At her words, everyone remained paralyzed, unable to work out any solution whatsoever.

Nara swallowed hard and opened her eyes wide. She then extended her hand to wipe Vegeta's face clean of the blood that tarnished his lightly bronze skin. It kept seeping, nearly all out, the force that bound him to this world, and she knew matters could not be graver. No, it made everything a near impossibility. She let out a sharp breath of pain. How many times had she pressed her mind against his injuries to infuse them with the force of her will? And how many times had she pried him from physical pain, nestling his every vital pulse of blood with her engulfing power? She had gotten so used to him depending on her, that she was almost equally dependant in return, every part of her body delighted at the purpose he gave her. Her every cell felt swollen with pleasure whenever she saw him, only to be multiplied exponentially whenever he beckoned her. Her heart always warmed when she recognized Temy's print in his brain. Not only did she feel a fierce sense of loyalty to the boy Temy bed, she also felt an unbreakable part of her fellow Sachia as well.

Nara lifted her eyes to see him and with new found resolution she remembered the teachings she had once received from her mothers back in Sachio. What she pulled back belonged somewhere in the vault of uncommon practices that no one dared to speak of out loud. It was something advised against, that she had picked up from the whispers of old women gathered around a bonfire. It was known to be crippling to whoever performed it, not that many had ever done so. After all, who would doom herself to suffering from a weakened heart for the rest of her life, acquiring an insufficiency that would lead to periodic heart failure and premature death later on?

Ignoring the chill that froze her spine, she bent over and placed her hands at either side of his head. There was a last breath of life lodged in his throat, ready to be expelled out and forever from his body. Nara regained her resolve and she swiftly lowered her lips to meet his, immediately forcing them apart with her mouth and allowing her to breathe directly into him.

Nara narrowed her mind to a single thread of concentration and tensed up her body to squeeze every single drop of energy she could. Some called it the kiss of life, others the kiss of death, in any event, its purpose was to channel the direct forceful power of the healer in a single beam straight into the others lungs, invading them with a punch of energy. It forced itself directly into the heart, kick starting it and relentlessly pushing it to beat, sustaining it for a few seconds before it could work on its own. It wasn't regenerating as much as it was resuscitating. It made her a purveyor of life, the warmest, essential thread of life that had the power to bring someone back to this world. It was forcing herself vengefully amidst the shadows of death, a technique as bitter and sweet as fathomable by any being.

Nara clenched her eyes shut and concentrated her every fiber on pulling back Vegeta's essence, feeling his lungs bulge with her illuminating power. Her memories of him swelled into her and took over her brain completely: him sitting outside staring endlessly at the starry skies, his eyes gleaming deep with self pleasure every time he felt stronger and confident, him patting his unruly hair into place quickly thinking no one was looking, him smiling unknowingly when feeling her energy fuse into him. The crooked scar over his shoulder that ended two centimeters from his armpit, the curl of his upper lip...

A few seconds later a heavy feeling of nausea and dizziness hit her powerfully and Nara's ground shook and shattered beneath her. She was vaguely aware of his heart pounding again before she felt a silent black force pull her down. She suddenly released his lips and crumpled to the floor, tears flowing down her face. There was nothing she could do while she succumbed to the cold and darkness that enveloped her, slowly beginning to drift into unconsciousness.

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An hour later a huge window panel steamed up as Temy's warm breath pressed upon it. The air seeping out of her was a sharp contrast to the icy stare of her eyes, now fixed upon the girl that lay in a steel bunk at the other side of the glass. Temy's face was a formidable mask of stony features, as immovable as the highest mountains she'd seen during her numerous trips. No trace of life glistened in her darkened gaze and if it weren't for the rhythmic movement of her chest, she would have forgotten she was still a breathing creature.

She shut her eyes forcefully, for once creating a crease between her brows, infusing expression into her grimace. As soon as it appeared, it was gone, the tiny flexing of the muscles that for one second depicted an ounce of feeling. It was immediately replaced by a cool countenance, guarding the thoughts that she now purposefully vowed to lock and throw away into the remotest parts of her. They were of no use anymore, nothing but stars fallen to ashes, mirrors broken, hazy illusions dissipated into thin air.

It was a blaring joke to her that she hadn't even been aware that such things had been harbored within her, the ones that now mocked her as they slowly died away inside her. A sense of shame shot through her body, revolting her immediately, bringing a wave of nausea with it. It repulsed her to realize she had sunken so low as to nestle the tiniest seed of expectation, of hope perhaps, that there was a shard of stability in her life, that there was even a thin thread by which she could control a minute portion of it. The meeting she had been to 15 minutes ago had reminded her of precisely how quintessentially wrong those perceptions were and of how only fools forget who they are.

She was supposed to be on a space pod right this minute, traveling across the depths of space into her next mission, something she had expected avidly, but the she had been quick to pick up on the tension that filled her team mates the minute she step forth. Their expression hung awkwardly in their face, nobody able to look her in the eye for more than a second; Everyone except Helu, her team leader, who stood before her with a deeply carved frown, not a muscle moving in his perfectly controlled features.

"Temy. Go back. I have nothing to do with you."

His words had settled like thick slabs of steamy ice into her gut and she was sure she had probably looked quite the fool as sheer puzzlement clouded her eyes. Helu had ignored the uproarious questioning that had ensured shortly after, Temy trailing behind the large warrior that insisted on turning her back on her literally. She had known better than to persist, as she knew her words held as much value as those of a whore at the cheapest alleys of any planet. Her team walked away through the take-off deck, ready to move on and get the job done, deliberately silencing her off their minds and pressing on to their own survival instead.

She had shaken violently, a sharp sensation of withdrawal seizing her body uncontrollably, but even through her spasms and dilated pupils, she had managed to drown the sobs before they left her throat. A tight sense of pride surged inside her at that thought. She liked to believe that at the last minute she had known better than to lend herself to the wailing of fools and imbeciles. In reality she was uncertain if her inability to utter a sound had been due to a powerful display of control or if it was due to her essence being slowly suffocated. For all she knew, her convulsions had been a signal of her spirit being crushed to death.

Her shaken hand had tapped into the feed of her scouter, only to discover the fate that now lay before her, handed down as a heavy sentence.

"Immediate Relocation, Quadrant 4."

Quadrant 4 was headquarter for Cooler's regiment, which erected itself at the other side of the galaxy. She was being handed over to Frieza's brother, transferred irrevocably to the most remote area of the Ice-Jin Empire, permanently.

"Take off: Port 6, Departure: 30 minutes".

Temy had shifted slowly to the floor, knees buckling under the pressure of her body. She knelt in the middle of the hall, thoughts flying around her mind with a blinding force as the pink screen over her left eye flashed the same symbols repeatedly. Her mind had sought desperately for a reason to the sudden turn in events, but she hadn't had to wait very long for an unspoken explanation. A sudden powerful presence had filled the room forcing every particle in the air to move and reorder. She lifted the dull emptiness of her eyes to face the pale visage of the one who held her life in his hand.

His heart crushing gaze weighed on her like a heavy stone, under which she could do nothing more but bow. Not once had she been able to look him straight in the eye, knowing such insolence would be hardly tolerated. Instead she chose to stare at her knees, bent in a silent expression of utter surrender. What business could he possibly want with her, a being of such inferior caste as her, nothing but a commoner to the king? Had there been a single occasion where he had openly acknowledged her existence? And now all of a sudden, she was a distinct being, a moth nearly sputtering in the presence of a powerful bonfire. His presence only signaled she had done something distinctly important, bad, and punishable, worthy enough of his attention.

"Soldier, I hear you have done well in my regiment. After all, you are still alive." Frieza's voice lingered in the air, electrifying it with its dark undertone. "Now, I heard it may be due to your rather fierce character in the battle field…not bad for an otherwise defective race."

Temy raised her eyes slightly, only to see the heavy boots of two others who stood beside her master. They didn't really need an introduction, as she could hear the hissy whispers they shared behind his back. Dodoria and Zarbon.

"Now I suppose I have to apologize for keeping you waiting for so long after your last mission. I am sure you had nothing else in mind but your eagerness to be sent away for your next assignment. "His tone descended into a dangerous depth, as he spilled the words beneath slightly gritted teeth, "I am sure you didn't appreciate so much downtime, after all, being _on_ _your back_ for so long must have bored you."

The way he spat the words "on your back" made her shiver but she didn't dare flinch a muscle. She kept her body totally paralyzed as if kneeling before a snake that could lunge at her with its deadly fangs any minute.

"I truly believe you could be of use to my brother. Your multiple abilities can come in handy to him and his soldiers. Sneaky little girls like you are best kept occupied doing hard work, outside…in the field, lest they get lazy and whorish."

She scraped her nails across the ground before balling her hands into fists against it. This would be the time to raise her head and die honorably after attempting to strike the undefeatable demon. This would be the time to defend the last shred of dignity she so desperately wanted to cling to.

"Dodoria, see that her pod is ready and set to the appropriate coordinates. An empire isn't run on soft edges, but on the sharpness and precision of a deadly knife."

She felt the fat bulky weight of Dodoria reverberate across the floor as he scurried off to set an invariable course to her pod, a trip that would take her 2 years to make, alone throughout the deafening silence of space. This was the time to bite the hand that fed her, that had coolly choked the spirit out of her still thrashing body many years ago.

"Are you grateful I let you live?" His tone was colored with amusement as he waited on her response.

"Yes Lord Frieza", she had whispered, "I am."

Now, only a few minutes away from the lonesome trip into the sidereal coldness of space she nailed her immovable gaze in the girl's direction, with the sharpness of a predator and a vacant expression. She pushed the button to the gate and walked in like vermin skulking out of the shadows, with a stiff determination that still glued her together, not allowing her to fall apart.

The child was pale, her emerald features an almost washed out color that lacked any glow, her brow slightly furrowed and her eyes a little tightened, but she lived and breathed. The machines that sustained her and would more likely than not bring her to a recovery reminded Temy of that precise fact. She had noticed the kid rapidly decay and the reason was as blatant as night and day. But why was she so invariably broken today? Perhaps she had hit rock bottom and her body had shut down in order to commence a steady recovery. After all, the healer could certainly heal herself and regain most of her luster if given the appropriate time. Temy knew Vegeta was smart enough to understand that and not keep pressing, lest he may lose what had come to be a rather valuable creature to him. Perhaps today the feeble child had suffered under a particularly grueling examination performed by Frieza's minions, lovers of invasive and painful prodding. She had witnessed the child walk in countless times still bearing marks through her badly bruised arms and legs. Her skin had been defiled by the knife and the electrodes, and it cried out in the shape of unsightly hematomas.

Temy eyed the clock on the wall and quickly glanced back down at Nara, a new stronger resolution flickering her eyes on for an instant. What would tomorrow bring, when the brittle creature opened her eyes to a broken world? When she'd come to the sheer realization of her loneliness in the midst of the steely dominion of the Devil Lord, the blood and breathe of a fellow Sachia no longer existing to assuage her nightmare riddled nights?

What sort of grueling punishment would the child be given to once Frieza's black eye turned in her direction, as it invariably would, as it always did where Vegeta was concerned? Her turn would come, today or tomorrow, sooner of later. It would come, as it had for her, now 5 minutes away and mocking her with the tick of the clock.

Temy slid her hand surreptitiously up Nara's body and clasped her delicate neck. The girl did not move, except for a jittery sigh that escaped her lips. She continued to sleep peacefully, abandoned to the soothing darkness of unconsciousness. It was at that moment that Temy rekindled her resolve, snapping the life off her body with a single squeeze of her hand. It sounded like a twig cracking in the middle of the forest, her dainty bones breaking and her breath subsiding.

Temy retreated still fixed in the features of the child that had died in a serene slumber. She slowly turned around, pleased with the outcome of her deliberate plan, the soft sensation of her neck lingering on her clammy hand. She moved forward, resolute, as surely dead inside as she was still breathing, ready to exit into the world.

"_Asirand'ha_"

Temy whispered the words "_go free_" in Sachian; A voice of goodbye after having committed the last single act she had been able to control.


	7. Star of Glory

**Disclaimer: **Non-profit fun. It's all it is.

Child of Desire

Chapter Seven: Star of Glory

Vegeta had to undergo a complete session on a regen tank after Dodoria's rage had finally been spent. Nara's struggles had been successful in pulling him back from the brink of death but the beating had been so brutal and merciless that a full cycle on the healing machines had been in order to restructure crushed bone and scarred tissue.

Nappa couldn't deny he felt a sense of relief after having examined every inch of the boy while he still lay on a bunk of one of the medical bays. He had been sedated so that they could run priority tests on him and ensure a rather agitated Frieza that the Prince was back to normal, no permanent damage wrecked on his system and no consequences to worry about for the future. After the medics had calmed their master's snappy questions and quenched his concerns, the Ice-jin had been happy enough to drop the topic and allow Nappa to finally take the boy's body out of the infirmary. The Saiyan now carried him in his arms, his slender body still feeling oddly frail after the near-death experience and his expression making him look as if he were nothing but an eight year old. It reminded the bodyguard of the very first time he had had to carry him ten years ago, after having suffered a similar beating from a pack of high ranked soldiers seeking fresh meat to haze.

After entering Vegeta's private quarters, Nappa lay him down on his bed and was surprised to see his eyelids immediately flutter open to reveal drowsy eyes. His face was still unreadable. None of his usual irritability or bitterness rose to the surface. Instead his expression was vacant and hollow as he stared at the ceiling. Slowly and steadily his drowsiness disappeared and left way for eyes that looked completely awake, albeit distant as they continued to gaze into nothing.

"You are alive, my Lord and for that I am pleased." Nappa's voice was toneless as he towered over his prince with a stony semblance. He wasn't surprised to see no indication that Vegeta had heard him. Perhaps there was no one else that knew the child as well as he did, so he knew what to expect or not according to his demeanor. Even through his flicker of worry at the state he was in, his sense of relief was overpowering. The boy was healthy, his body was healed, and he was breathing regardless of whatever his mind was trying to process. That is all that mattered to him. In the midst of growing up and learning, his ward's life was still flaming inside his chest, and spared from what he thought would be certain doom. Instead of falling to his demise his heart now beat, the hope for the future, and the cornerstone of their lives. _His child of many desires._

Nappa turned to leave but stopped before reaching the gate.

"I believe you will be glad to know that Dodoria did endure a whip to the face from Lord Frieza's own tail. He will have to make up for his insolence for a very long time of that I am sure." The older Saiyan smirked, brows drawn together in pleasure at the thought of Frieza's lapdog having to squirm around for quiet a while.

As he pressed the button to exit, Nappa halted abruptly, knowing he needed to let Vegeta know everything he had found out while being watchful of him the two full days he had spent unconscious on the medical bay. He didn't flinch at the thought of issuing the words.

"She got killed".

No movement, no sound, nothing at all that Nappa could detect under his keen Saiyan senses.

"And the female warrior got transferred to Quadrant 4".

Having delivered the news in as acrid a tone as was possible; Nappa shut the gate and headed to the room next door. "Come on my brat. Let me have it". He muttered while snickering under his breath.

--------------------------------------------

Six months total slowly unfolded while the Saiyans remained parked at Frieza's headquarter. After the Dodoria episode, it had taken nearly one week before Vegeta had emerged from his chambers, a visage of twisted muted malice, a shift on his eyes that had made even Radditz shiver from head to toe. He had been quiet, more so than usual, unresponsive to his subordinates trivial comments or questions and going through the motions of sparring with as much fierceness as he could exert.

On occasions he would resort to pounding both Radditz and Nappa until both were forced to flee the scene, flagrantly turning their backs on the enraged prince who did nothing but yell at them at the top of his lungs. His voice carried on shrill profanities, in Saiyan and as many languages as he knew, which he screamed until his throat was sore, insulting both soldiers with vulgarities he had picked up from port to port since joining Frieza's army.

The behavior carried on, mixed with his refusal to join them at the mess hall, for he didn't eat during a period of one entire month, surviving on random ration bars and water, dragging his body straight from his room unto the training ground until he could move no more and then back in, drenched in sweat, covered in blood.

Nappa snapped one afternoon, after the Prince refused a meal he brought over from the dining hall, throwing it against the wall and laughing maniacally.

"I don't want it". Vegeta's smirk made his fangs flash through his lips, his eyes still glittering even under heavy malnourishment and the sunken shadows that surrounded them.

Nappa's voice was a heavy growl; deeply emitted from the pits of the warrior's mangled soul. "You have the power to do with you as you wish, my Lord, and you are aware you can do with us as you desire as well. Tear and degrade your own body or kick and beat our own, but your fist will never take away my words when I pronounce you a dishonor to the race I protected and a disgrace to the throne of Vegita-sei."

He had given his back to the Prince, who had remained immeasurably silent for weeks to come, until one morning he appeared into the dining room, quietly taking a seat in front of his fellow Saiyans.

For three long months Nappa had had to run to the medical bay at night with him on his arms, Vegeta's frame shaking from a sickly fever that scorched his skin and made his teeth clatter. It usually happened while he was asleep, rendered helpless to unending nights of nightmares that piled one atop the other. He and Radditz had lain awake for hours on end, silently taking in their master's shrieks and groans which came and went, agonizing night after agonizing night, until Nappa was forced to grab him and seek attention, countless times. After recovering the medics still had nothing much to say about his condition, deeming it a mystery of the mind, a place not even they could go with their technological prowess.

The last night Nappa had had to sweep him from a suffocating nightmare, he had brought him back and thrown him in his bed, eliciting a moan from the curled up 17 year old.

"Weak…my Lord of Vegeta-sei. Weak little princeling. I never once believed Frieza until today". Nappa gritted his teeth and turned around, for once actually beginning to lose faith in who he had deemed a most precious treasure, the prime of the Saiyan world.

A moment dragged on in silence.

"What did you just say…" For once, Vegeta's voice wasn't laden with insanity or mockery. Instead, it was a grave tone of command, serene and alert, an echo of a man that was strong and sharpened in war.

"Vegeta…"

Nappa's sentence was cut short the moment Vegeta sprung out of his bed and dashed forward towards the older warrior, stopping mere inches away from him. He fixed Nappa with a hair-raising stare, issued from behind proud, cold eyes, exuding an insurmountable amount of control, something he hadn't seen in the boy even before the excruciating months of waiting had come their way. It was the kind of control and temperance Nappa remembered from the great heroes of the old age, which had led Vegeta-sei into triumph and splendor once upon a time.

"You, do not talk to me as an equal ever again soldier, much less as an inferior. I am Prince Vegeta, Lord of Saiya-jins, Star of Glory, King of Moonlight and pride of my ancestors as was pronounced upon my birth. Neither you nor anyone else will ever live to take what's rightfully mine away from me."

Nappa looked at Vegeta's smaller frame, and wasn't able to move a single muscle, struck and trembling after listening to his master's powerful command. Before he knew it he was on his knees, his head lowered and his fist drawn to his chest in significance of utmost respect and reverie.

"Forgive me my Lord. You are always and forever".

--------------------------------------------

Radditz and Nappa were ready to put on their training gear for their morning work out. It was their sixth month of going through the same routine and both exchanged friendly banter regarding a few new techniques they were trying to develop and add to their fighting range. The morning was cool and damp on Planet Frieza and it made for a perfect environment to train. It didn't seem like a day that would turn out to be any different from the rest, but they had long made their peace with that idea.

Their talk was abruptly interrupted when Vegeta stepped in, fully clad in fresh armor and wearing a pink scouter over his left eye.

"Nappa, Radditz, I expect to see you both on the hangar bay in ten minutes".

They both looked at each other, eyes widened and a smirk slowly spreading over their features.

"What for…" Radditz couldn't finish.

"Lazy or slow, which are you? Mid-level mission, Ficah System. We depart now". Vegeta issued a final glare before leaving, dark eyes commanding, scowl dignified, and mind focused.

Even in the midst of loss and servitude Nappa and Radditz turned to look at each other, a genuine grin cracking their hardened faces and the cry of the warrior finally rising within their blood. It definitely looked like the time of waiting and training was up as was the war of a child that had suffered the pain of growth both inside and out.

They knew not to expect high-level missions just yet, but slowly and surely they would come. There would always be a grand world that was too strong for the weak ranks and for which Frieza would turn his eye in the direction of the Saiya-jins. Yes, in time it would surely come. For now they had their work cut out for them and they were both more than eager to follow in the steps of their leader, the man that carried the pride of their race atop his shoulders.

Nappa frowned but his smile did not falter. "Heh Radditz how fast they grow…"

The younger soldier nodded, a lopsided grin in place. "Yes … how fast..."

The bigger Saiyan chuckled and grabbed a bag of supplies before flinging it over his wide shoulder. He waited until the younger man was ready and packed as well, his eyes glistening with excitement and his face fresh with enthusiasm. The moment to live or die had knocked on their doors and they couldn't wait to answer.

Before closing the gate, Nappa turned to bid their room one last glance. He then turned and followed Radditz out into the destiny that bound them all together before issuing his last words.

"It's time to fight"

- End -

_A/N: To those who have read this story, thank you. Whatever comments you may want to make, feel free to leave a review or PM me, as I look forward to anything you have to say. This is my first multi-chapter story which happens to be centralized on Vegeta growing from a child to an adult. I am now working on developing B/V stories, which I hope to publish soon enough. _

_Caprice_


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